


Demons in the Dark

by Slingblade125



Series: The Darkest Knight Series [2]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Batman - All Media Types, Batman Begins (2005), Batman trilogy, Dark Knight (2008), Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Action/Adventure, BatCat, Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Nolanverse, Rough Sex, Sexual Content, TDKR
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 09:16:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 168,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1220839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slingblade125/pseuds/Slingblade125
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story continuation: Part 2 follows In the Dark of Day- Bruce and Selina work to reclaim the lost fortune of Wayne Enterprises and find a future for themselves in the shadow of post Bane Gotham. Bruce Wayne is spread thin as he tries to salvage his beloved city acting both as the Batman and Gotham's billionaire philanthropist. Blake struggles to find his way as a Gotham City's newest vigilante crime fighter.  All rights to the original story/characters go to Christopher Nolan, Warner Brothers, Batman Begins/Dark Knight DC Comics Originally published: 10/3/2012</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Her face darkened as the reoccurring fear arose in her mind. All of this with Bruce was just a fantasy, a beautiful interlude before she had to face the reality of who she really was, what her future really held. The Clean Slate was a great tool for someone that wanted to disappear, start fresh, but Bruce was intent on recapturing his life back in Gotham. Where would that leave her? She was an escaped prisoner from Blackgate, facing felony charges for kidnapping and aggravated assault of a United States Congressman. Unless the clean slate had the power to cause mass amnesia and was able to erase the hard copies of files possessed by the GPD, she wasn't ever going to be able to show her face in Gotham without going back to jail to face trial. The few weeks she had spent incarcerated at Blackgate awaiting arraignment had been torture. She couldn't chance that she would get sentenced to real time there, and real time was exactly what she was facing. She was looking at the gavel dropping on a minimum of eleven years. Thanks to her history of escapes, all of that time would be served in Blackgate. She would be locked in with the worst animals Gotham had ever produced.

 _Eleven years._ She looked over at Bruce. _Where did it leave us? More importantly, where did it leave him?_

She watched over him with protective eyes as she felt the threads of fear winding tighter around her heart. Fear made people do stupid things she reminded herself, but she was not able to shake the dread and trepidation that she felt when she thought of her possible future. Her throat closed and her eyes burned as the first warm tear tracked down her cheek. She lay next to him for long hours watching him as he slept, spinning the scenarios over and over in her mind until she was exhausted. Drained from the emotional torment of reliving the events in Gotham, she turned away from him and curled into herself, dropping into a troubled sleep.

Xxx

She was nine years old, walking home from school. Her worn tennis shoes dragging along the sidewalk, empty denim book bag bumping against her back as her pace progressively slowed as she neared her building. It was an old crumbling brownstone, damaged and neglected beyond repair. Her brown eyes were large and haunted as she looked up to the second floor window. It's closed. He's not home. Her mood lifted some and she hurried more quickly in hopes that she might find some food to eat and be gone again before he got off from work.

She had slept in the alley the past two nights. So desperate to avoid him that she had accepted hunger and cold rather than the alternative of his presence. She understood that he would punish her when he caught her, but she had no intention of getting caught.

Selina glared up at the window knowing even if she hadn't run away that there would have been another reason for him to punish her. Something else that would be her fault, something she did that would invite the violence against her. She could stand the anger; she could take the punches and the kicks. It was the other…the other punishment that she could not bear.

Her stomach cramped and twisted as she looked around the street. Satisfied that he wasn't approaching she darted inside and quickly climbed the stairwell. She slipped her key into the battered lock and waited several long seconds, her head tilting as she listened for movement. Her stomach grumbled and she pushed her clenched fist against it to quiet the interfering noises. Sweat rolled down her back between her shoulder blades as she again felt the nagging pressure in her mind demanding that she not turn the lock. She was nearly sick with hunger and she needed more clothes for school. In the end that was what decided it, she didn't want to miss school. Selina wiped her sweating hands on her jeans before returning them to the handle. She gently turned it even as her mind railed against the act.

Cracking the door a sliver she listened again for movement. _Hurry, hurry, hurry._ She ran silently across the small kitchen and dropped down beside their rusted gas stove. Her knees hovered above the torn green linoleum as she balanced in a low crouch in front of the cabinet. She opened it, careful not to squeak the worn hinges. She swiveled on the balls of her feet as she maneuvered the stolen cans into her pack. She was up to eight cans when she heard his voice from the door. "Selina."

Her eyes flashed opened and she recoiled away from his hands, a strangled cry escaping her lips. She pushed back with her heels until her back pressed against the wall of the cabin. Bruce said her name again and Selina locked her eyes on him panting for air as she slowly came back to herself.

Bruce spoke in low, comforting tones to her as he waited for her to calm. "Selina, you're safe. You were dreaming. It's just us, here on the plane. Nothing is going to hurt you Selina. Just breathe. It was only a dream."

She looked at Bruce, able to make out the concerned lines on his face, even in the dark of the cabin. She took several deep breaths and tried to clear her head of the images. Bruce continued to talk in the same low voice and she just focused on that until she felt that she was in control again. She ran a shaking hand across her face as she relaxed away from the wall. Bruce waited until he saw that first small movement toward him and then he reached out his hand. She took it immediately in hers and he felt the air leave his chest in relief. He fought back the urge to act. _Just wait Bruce, just wait for her, give her some space._

She stayed like this a long while, gripping his hand in hers, drawing from the strength that seemed to radiate through his touch. When she finally spoke her only word was his name.

"Bruce." She squeezed his hand, her voice thankful, but still strained with emotion. He understood the importance of accepting her silent gratitude. His reply was a slight nod of his head as he opened his arms to her. She slid against him wrapping her arms around him as she curled against his chest. Bruce secured her firmly against him, wanting her to feel his arms and understand that she was safe and protected. He held her in silence, refusing the temptation to ask about the nightmare. They both had demons that haunted them. She would tell him eventually what hers were. All that really mattered to Bruce now was that she had turned to him for support when she needed it. She let him be a part of her fight. She realized that it didn't have to be her versus the world anymore. Selina didn't have to face down her dark demons alone. They had each other now and together they were a formidable combination against any adversary, real or imagined.

xxxx

Selina awoke slowly. She felt Bruce's warm body beneath her and realized his arms were still wrapped around her and she winced. _Nightmares…Poor guy didn't know what he got himself into with me._ She slowly started to untangle herself from him. She felt his arms tighten against her.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was alert and clear and she knew he had been awake for a while.

Selina winced again in complete embarrassment. _Shit. How long had I slept? I hope it wasn't too long_. Knowing Bruce's boy scout nature, it would be a safe bet that he had watched over her all the while she was out, using his presence to try and keep the dreams at bay...trying to stop the memories from returning. She was immediately thankful for the darkness of the room to hide in as her face flushed with shame at her weakness. She tried to disengage herself from him again and she felt a muscled thigh drop across her leg trapping her against him as his hand continued to rub gently up her back. She finally gave in and relaxed back into his body, sliding her cheek against his chest. She smiled as she heard his low rumble of approval and felt his hand ruffle through her hair. She pressed a kiss to his chest and his arm tightened gently in response. She asked quietly, "Where are we Bruce?"

He slid his other hand up her thigh rubbing a slow path across the smooth skin of her leg. "Ten thousand feet above the North Atlantic."

"How long 'til we land?" Selina nudged him lightly.

Bruce smiled. "We have about two hours left. It will be 6:30 am when we arrive in Nice. Just in time to see a beautiful sunrise over the Mediterranean."

"Sounds nice," she teased him lightly by pronouncing it niece as he had for the city. She was successful in drawing a low chuckle from him.

Selina yawned and arched her back in a stretch. As she settled back against him Bruce sighed contentedly. Never much for flying, he decided that he could easily handle nine more hours of this. He also decided that the Wayne Lear would be receiving an update that included a cabin just like this one.

"What are the plans for today Bruce?"

Her simple question made him smile again. He enjoyed the fact he would get to show her places she had never been before. "Well I'm starving, so I say we cruise through customs, pick up the rental, and then find somewhere to have a fantastic breakfast."

Selina rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "Do you just happen to know where to get a fantastic breakfast in Nice?"

Bruce tapped her lightly on the nose. "I think I have something that you will appreciate, the Cours Saleya Flower Market. We will be getting there right when the vendors are setting up. We can find a café overlooking the ocean. The breeze off the Mediterranean will be in your hair." He traced her lips with his finger, "You will taste the luxury of the French Riviera. Believe me Selina, it will be fantastic."

She inhaled deeply as she looked at him. He was fantastic. So much so that it hurt at times just to look at him. Too perfect…. too good…too _everything_. Selina pressed her lips to his, sliding her hands up his chest around his neck and into his perfect hair.

Bruce ran his palms along her sides as he let her pace them through what she wanted. Her mouth explored his, gently tugging his lip between hers. He breathed in her scent and murmured her name against her neck. She pressed harder against his chest, sliding her body against him. He felt her hands drifting down low on his stomach and he tensed in anticipation of her touch. His body felt electrified as he tried to contain the need she was building in him.

Selina marveled at the effect she was able to have on Bruce. His eyes were glazed with desire and his breath was coming in shallow pants as he waited for her. She realized then the control he practiced with her, his willingness to put himself second to make sure she was ready. She voiced a small confession bravely to him, "Bruce you make me happier than I have ever been."

He inhaled deeply and regarded her with serious eyes, "It's just the beginning Selina. I promise." As her mouth covered his again, he was left wondering if Selina Kyle had ever had anyone that loved her, really loved her for the person that she was. He slowed the movement of her hands with his own, deepening the kiss on her lips. He wondered if she had ever had a man make love to her. Bruce decided he was going to make certain he knew the answer to that question.

Selina felt the shift in him. His desire moved from a blaze, to a slow burn; from passion to purpose. She looked in his eyes and he smiled softly before asking her for the impossible, "Trust me Selina?"

She heard her own traitorous voice answer, "Yes." Then, she was rewarded for her trust. Bruce showed her what it felt like to be loved, respected and revered. He showed her that sex didn't equate to pain. He told her she was beautiful and she knew he meant it. He told her he needed her and she knew he meant that as well. She felt connected to him in a way that transcended this moment. He had burned himself into her, marking her only for him through his patience and tenderness. These two things were difficult for him, so it made it all the more special that he had them with her. She asked him to forgive her and he promised he had. She asked him to trust her again and Bruce told her he had never stopped. He promised her anything she wanted and Selina told him she already had it in him.

Bruce gratefully accepted this as her truth.

They finished together, looking into each other's eyes as the passion burnt through them. He would never have to question again if she knew what it felt like to be loved—and neither would she.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce walked quietly behind Selina as she meandered through the Flower market. December was the off-season for vacationers in France, this coupled with the early hour of the day meant tourist traffic was light. They had the undivided attention of every vendor. He smiled as he corrected himself, she had the undivided attention of every vendor. Bruce would translate when she needed, but most of them spoke enough English that he was able to just hang back, like he was now. He was content to just stroll along with his hands slipped easily into the pockets of his trousers, shirt casually open at the collar.

Bruce was honestly surprised at himself. He both looked and felt the image of relaxation. He stroked the hair on his chin absently still not accustomed to the stylish close cut goatee. He looked different, he felt different, he was different. Bruce mused over that for a moment and rationalized that surviving the past six months had probably given him a new perspective and appreciation for living. _Sure that's it Wayne, even though throwing deranged miscreants in jail and saving Gotham had never had this effect before... granted, the Pit was hell..but so was losing Rachel...Be honest with yourself Bruce, be honest about what the difference is, about what made this change in you_.

He looked up and his eyes found Selina. She was paying for a piece of fruit from a merchant. When she looked over and her white teeth flashed against the deep red of her lips, he felt as though he had been kicked in the chest. Bruce breathed out a small oath. _Incredible_. He stopped to wait on her looking out over the water as he leaned on the stone wall that separated the market from the rocky cliff. He inhaled a deep breath enjoying the salty smell of the surf. The sun was lifting in the sky and the chill of the night was burning off. Bruce was glad the day promised to be warm. He wanted to walk on the pebble beach and feel the sun on his face.

He looked back over at Selina ensuring that she saw where he had stopped. She was engaged in conversation with the elderly French proprietors as she peeled an orange. She seemed already to be in her element as she stood laughing with the couple, his jacket wrapped around her shoulders. Bruce made a mental note that they would leave here with a warm coat for her and some additions to her limited wardrobe. She had only a very small selection of items that survived the exodus from her old apartment. He glanced at his watch and made the adjustment for the time difference.

Fox may have already taken care of some of the items he requested, one being to recover her personal effects from her apartment. Bruce wasn't sure if they had any value to her, but if they did, he wanted her to have them. Bruce wondered momentarily if she would be offended or pleased by the gesture.

 _Selina Kyle, you are such an intriguing puzzle.._.Well, if she didn't appreciate it he could always ask Fox to take the bullet for him. He knew she would never get angry at Fox. His lips curled into a smile as he picked up on several words of French Selina used in the conversation. She was a quick study, picking up bits of the language already and mastering the Euro currency conversions in only a few short hours in country.

 _Adaptable, very adaptable indeed._ He wasn't surprised by anything when it came to her anymore. She could fake her way through any situation it seemed. If needed, she had a French accent at her disposal that would make a local proud. He had been endlessly amused when she started using it on him as they waited in line at customs. Dripping her English with mispronunciations and adorable misunderstandings, the heavily laden French/English was totally convincing. The agent at customs had believed it so thoroughly that he started speaking to her in French to help her better understand him.

Bruce had wondered how she was going to squirm out of that until he saw her reaction. Selina Kyle didn't go on the defensive, but rather launched her own counter offensive. She had pulled out the heavy artillery when she did it too. Leaning seductively over the counter she turned the man's name tag where she could read it, allowing her hand to rest on his shoulder while providing him a prime view down the top of her low-cut dress.

"Monsieur... Dubois," She made a production of reading his name." I am trying on my English. Speak it with me. yes?"

He watched her work, his amusement lessened by the desire he saw in the younger man's eyes. Bruce hadn't much cared for the way the man openly stared at her chest as she bent across the counter or the way Selina's hand had continued to squeeze his shoulder as they flirted.

When they got to the rental counter Selina was speaking normally again and gave the Pendergrass name to the clerk. Fox had been specific that there would be a car reserved for them. When the clerk went to retrieve it Selina had favored Bruce with a knowing smirk. "You thought that agent had me didn't you?"

Bruce looked at her evenly. "He may not have _had_ you, but I know he _wanted_ you."

She straightened his jacket and smiled again. "Well that's part of the illusion Mr. Speedman. It's misdirection, you give them some of what they want to believe and then anything you need them to believe flows along in the wake."

Bruce looked away from her and pressed his lips together dissatisfied with her unnecessary performance. "And the accent? Doesn't sound like something you just threw together. Sounds like something you spent some time working on."

She nodded, "A lot of time actually."

Bruce looked at her again, the annoyance detectable in his voice. "If you were going to spend all that time why didn't you just learn French?"

Selena finally realized he was jealous. Not just Fox playful jealous, but a little of the real thing. _Delightful_. She grinned and dropped into her accent again for just for him. "Monsieur Wayne, French, she is no help when the mark knows only the English, no?" She smiled and lost the accent again. "Tricks of the trade, Bruce."

Selina walked over to him now, the blue and white dress swishing above her knees as her hips swayed in that familiar way of hers. Her heels echoed off the cobbled path and the customs agent was forgotten as Bruce again imagined where he wanted those heels to be… _Down boy…down_.

Selina brushed against his arm as she slid up beside him. She tore off a piece of the fruit and when she turned it over in her fingers he was surprised at the dark red flesh of the orange. She took a slice into her mouth and rolled her eyes in contentment. "Blood oranges. French grown are the best in the world."

Bruce smiled at her excitement at the simple pleasure. She offered him a slice and he declined, choosing instead to taste it from her lips. The juice was both sweet and tart on his tongue as he covered her lips with his. He encouraged her to deepen the kiss until he tasted her as well. The kiss was languid and slow as they took time to relish in the moment they had together. Bruce exhaled and licked his lower lip. "Delicious."

When he looked at her, the sunrise breaking over the ocean behind her, the breeze blowing her hair gently around her shoulders, there were no words for what he felt. The beauty of the moment was undeniable.

She read it on him as he looked at her and she felt the hard parts of herself soften. It was his eyes, the endless depths of them. She felt his arm slide inside the jacket she had wrapped around her shoulders and he bent her back slightly over the hand that settled across her low back. His lips pressed against hers and she lost herself in him.

Bruce had spent his life doing things with a specific purpose. Thousands of intentional decisions that moved himself and his business forward with specific goals in mind to guide him. Selina was what guided him now. She was his end goal and he wanted no missteps, nothing that would impede their journey together. He kissed her now like a man with a purpose.

The old woman nudged her husband and nodded toward the Americans. "Jeune amour, je pense. ils sont beaux ensemble." (Young love, I think they are beautiful.) He smiled and nodded in agreement, taking a moment from his sweeping to enjoy the undisguised love the two obviously shared for each other.

As they separated, Bruce pulled her with him, holding her hand as they walked further down the cobbled path.

The old man commented as they walked past, "Vous êtes un homme chanceux d'avoir une femme qui vous aime." (You are a lucky man to have a wife who loves you so.) Bruce heard the words and his heart charged.

He glanced over at the old gentleman and replied "Pas ma femme, mais je ne l'espère vous avez raison sur ce qu'elle ressent." (Not my wife, but I do hope you're right about what she feels.)

The old man seemed surprised and slightly embarrassed that Bruce had understood him, the young woman didn't speak French and he had assumed the same of her companion. But he smiled, sensing the chap was of good sport. "Ce n'est pas votre femme? Alors peut-être que vous êtes de plus insensé que de la chance, oui?" (This is not your wife? So maybe you are more foolish than lucky, yes?) He smiled and offered his hand in friendship to Bruce.

Bruce chuckled lightly and shook the offered hand. "Convenu." (Agreed)

Selina looked at him suspiciously as they continued to stroll along the market. "What was that all about?"

Bruce squeezed her hand and smiled. "Like so many things of late, Selina, that was all about you."

Selina rolled her eyes at him, "Oh, but you do have a way with the women, Mr. Wayne."

He held her hand tighter and thought about how far from the mark she was on that one. In her defense, he had played the part of the billionaire playboy pretty well in his day. Although truly an actor was only as good as the parts he played. The credit for his reckless party image really went to Alfred. Most of the flashier stunts he had pulled over the years were of Alfred's creation.

Selina felt his mood shift as he looked out again over the ocean. "Bruce, what are you looking for out there?"

The Port of Livorno was just a short boat ride over the water, due east of Monaco. Not visible by the naked eye, but he could imagine seeing it nonetheless. Bruce turned back to her and answered with a word. "Italy."

Selina smiled knowingly. "Alfred you mean."

Bruce raised his eyebrows at that.

Selina smiled again, brighter this time. "Fox tells me everything."

Bruce turned back to the water so she would not see the deception in his eyes. _Not everything Selina. He can't tell you everything, not yet._

She pulled him toward a café patio overlooking the water. "Let's get you something to eat before you start getting moody."

Bruce went with her willingly and tried to put the thoughts of Gotham out of his mind. He found success in that as they ate and talked the morning away. He showed her the sites of Nice and she showed him how to enjoy them. He bought her a flower from the market, a blue dahlia the same shade as her dress and she wore it in her hair. He smiled as she told him about the Alan Ladd movie that carried the same name. His chest squeezed when she insisted he watch it with her one day. _One day. Not this trip, not tomorrow—just one day in a long succession of days she assumed we would share. It wasn't just me, she's thinking that way too._

xxxx

She wanted to drive them into them into Monaco. "It's only fair," she said as she demanded the keys to the red Bugatti Veyron coupé. "You drove from the airport to here."

He held them away from her as he dropped several bags of clothes and shoes into the crowded storage area. "You aren't used to driving in Europe," he taunted her with her inexperience.

Undaunted by his barb, she ran her hands down his chest and smiled seductively. "I'm used to driving on both sides of the road Bruce, you've seen that for yourself. Besides, you know Fox wanted me to drive that car…" She reached an arm up to snatch the keys.

"Selina, this car is the fastest and one of the most expensive sports cars in the world. We are about to enter the streets of Monaco. They race the formula one grand prix down the streets here..." His eyes gleamed as he held the keys higher over his head.

"Bruce, if you are trying to turn me on... it fucking worked."

He laughed as she pulled his face down to her, knowing that Selina had just launched a counter strike against him and he was all too aware of the arsenal she was packing in that dress. She sealed a passionate kiss on his lips and Bruce lifted her against his chest. He felt the keys disappear out of his outstretched hand and he couldn't have cared less as the hand was now free to slide down and grip her ass. _Sometimes you had to fight battles you knew you would lose. There were victories to be had, even in defeat._ "Selina, you can drive on one condition." She gently bit on his earlobe as he spoke. He squeezed her ass tighter, "Tonight the heels stay on and you do the accent."

She dropped her head back and smiled, her voice dripping with her French accent. "Oui, for you, I do anything."

Two French men walked by arm in arm and they took in the sight of magnificent car and Bruce and Selina wrapped up in a passionate embrace. "Oh ma sœur, je vous hais...vous avez la voiture et l'homme...heureux." (Oh sister, I hate you...you have the car and the man ...lucky!) He threw his hands up in the air, obviously acting out in humor over their kiss.

"Tu es juste jaloux bacause vous voulez un homme comme ça." (You're just jealous because you want a man like that.) His partner patted his back in mock consolation.

"Oui! Il a de l'argent et a l'air fantastique. Je ne se soucient même pas qu'il est américain." (Yes! He has money and looks fantastic. I do not even care that he is American.) The two French men aware that Bruce and Selina had taken notice of them continued to appraise them openly. The first man looked at Bruce again and tossed his hands in the air shaking his head and the second man blew Selina a kiss.

Selina smiled over at the men and raised her eyebrows at Bruce who was choking back laughter at the fact he had just been hit on. Before she could ask he silenced her with another quick kiss. "No, you don't want to know. Believe me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bruce braced his knee against the door and the other against the console as Selina cornered through the hairpin turns of Monaco. She shifted and powered past a motorcyclist as he leaned in to the turn his knee hovering dangerously above the road. She smiled and glanced over at Bruce. "Nice bike."

He smirked "Maybe next time Fox will hook you up with one of those." She zagged the sports car around a motor bus slicing it quickly back into the lane and downshifted through another corner. "That would probably be contingent on you bringing this vehicle back in one piece that is." He warned her lightly as he looked over at her with a critical eye, "Speaking of, Ms. Kyle...Where is the bike I lent you...and my Lamborghini that I didn't lend you?"

She grinned, "You car is safe in Gotham, the bike...I'm not so sure about," she said, regret evident in her voice. She swerved the car around another corner. "My god this car is saving you a lot of work on foreplay, Bruce."

Bruce snorted as he white knuckled around another corner. He checked the GPS and directed her to the address of the bank. Selina pulled up to the light and waited tapping the steering wheel lightly with her freshly painted acrylic nails. She had acquired them after breakfast at a salon at the market. It was the final camouflage she needed to cover the wounds Gotham had inflicted upon her. Only Bruce was privy to the other marks on her body. He gave her a long look as she checked the traffic. He thought about her nightmare and wondered about the damage that wasn't visible...sometimes those were the wounds that healed the slowest.

She slid the car passed the bank, letting herself take a long look at the structure. She turned up a side street and pulled into a parallel park. _Precision._ Bruce had expected no less. He realized then he was rapidly becoming her biggest fan...he supposed he might still be a distant second to Fox... _I'm not nearly as star struck as Fox_ , Bruce justified to himself. He took a camera from his bag and snapped some shots of the bank.

Selina waited until the sound of the camera shutter slowed before she suggested they try to find their hotel. She turned toward Bruce when he didn't answer immediately. He snapped her photo as she turned to him. He had already gotten five of her profile and three of her legs. She smiled and he popped another one. "Bruce, it may not be a smart idea to photograph the thief in front of the target."

He gave her a knowing smile. "Well, I don't have your artistic talents, so I have to take photos."

She exhaled forcefully at his comment. "Peeking at my folder were you?"

Bruce wondered why she didn't want him to see the pictures she had drawn, slightly put out that she had allowed Fox access with seemingly no hesitation. "No, I just saw the one; the one you left for Lucius." He monitored her reaction.

She nodded and focused back on the bank, making mental notes on the surrounding buildings and structures. She knew she would have to come back many times in the next weeks before the job but this gave her a place to start. She turned back to Bruce to see if he was ready and noticed immediately that she had hurt him. She rubbed her hand across her forehead and sighed again. "Directions for the hotel?"

He wordlessly hit the GPS tracking on the dash. The automated French voice took over and began describing the route to the hotel. Selina rolled her eyes and pulled out into the street following the visual markers on the screen to the hotel. She shot a look over to him and saw him staring openly at her, obviously waiting for an explanation. "Bruce…come on…" She put the small plea out there. She didn't want to spoil this beautiful day with him being irritated over stupid drawings.

"Come on what, Selina? You don't trust me at my word? I told you I wouldn't look and I didn't." His voice was steady and even, but she could tell there was disappointment and hurt behind them.

She reached into the small area behind her seat and pulled out her folder, handing it over to him as she drove quickly down the street. "Here. Big baby." She was grateful that she had left all of the ones she did of him in the bag with her jewels in his vault. This pad was mostly landscapes she had done of Gotham. There was still one in there of the two of them, from that night in his penthouse. It was the only time she had drawn them both together. She had left the caption blank, not knowing how to title it. It was their faces reflected over the Gotham skyline.

Unlike Selina, who had to be forced into seeing the vault, Bruce did not need to be persuaded to enter her circle of trust. He didn't care that it took manipulation to receive the permission either. All is fair Selina Kyle…

She glanced over, irritated as she watched him flip open the pad. "Shit," she braked quickly to avoid a car that stopped in front of them.

Even when his safety belt caught, Bruce never looked up. His eyes were trained on the first of her drawings. Gotham's skyline after the initial attack on the city, smoke rising up from the buildings and bridges as they collapsed. He had been in the pit when he became aware of the attacks on the city. He swallowed hard at the memory; the pain of being trapped away from Gotham when it needed him had been indescribable. Until now he hadn't really thought about how it must have felt to be in the city, not knowing where the next blast would detonate. He tried to determine what vantage point she had drawn this from. _Where she had been when the attacks started. I know Gotham's rooftops better than anyone. This was off of Ninety-eighth street...The Fountaingate..._

Gone was the grainy imagery and wire cage that seemed to make everything so surreal to him while he was in the pit. He saw the attacks through her eyes now, the destruction and chaos brought to him in crystal clarity, courtesy of Selina Kyle's hand. As he looked over the skyline of Gotham, he could nearly smell the smoke and hear the cries from the citizens. It was tragically beautiful...painfully powerful. It was titled "The Storm Begins". He swallowed hard and turned the page. A close up of a child's hands as he chalked an image of a bat on a crumbling brick wall. Bruce looked over at Selina who was determinedly guiding the vehicle through the last few miles of the journey, effectively ignoring him in the process. His eyes dropped back down to the bottom of the page. "Belief". Bruce turned the page. Another of Gotham, this one from his penthouse. No doubt of that, from his bedroom specifically. She had drawn it from over his shoulder, the familiar scars across his back evident in the foreground as the city lay beyond him as he slept. She captioned that one "A Respite".

Selina whipped into the hotel, jabbing a finger to silence the incessant French jabbering of the GPS. Bruce raised his brow at her annoyed reaction. The cultural immersion of the day was obviously grating on her nerves. He was positive that she was frustrated with having to rely on him so much for information as well. Selina is so independent.

A valet came to the door and moved to open it for her. She clicked the lock as she lowered her window. "You can take my things," she glanced at her companion, "including him, up to the room. I'll park it myself." Her voice held no room for argument and there was no need for clarification as she had pointed to what she wanted taken care of—to include Bruce himself. She popped the storage compartment in the front of the car as well as Bruce's door and looked at him expectantly.

Bruce glanced over at her. "Testy."

She glared back. "Little bit."

"Mieux vaut être gentil, bébé, ça pourrait être une longue nuit pour toi..." (Better be nice baby, I could make this a long night for you ...) He smiled at her obvious aversion to him speaking French to her.

Selina shot him daggers as he stepped out of the car.

Bruce checked them in at the desk and sent the attendant ahead with their bags as he waited for her at the elevators. Bruce didn't miss the exacerbated sigh that she gave him as she walked up. He was amused at her annoyance and wondered if it was because he waited for her or because he was still studying her drawings.

She waited for him to press the button, but and he ignored her as he turned the page again, so she pressed for the elevator herself. "Floor?" She snapped the question.

Bruce answered simply, "Penthouse."

"Of course." she muttered under her breath.

He lowered the sketch pad and stared at her openly. "I'm going to need to start hearing that accent now, Ms. Pendergrass," he reminded her of their deal. Selina slashed her eyes over to him and snorted. The elevator arrived and she stepped on without another word. Bruce followed and turned away another couple that tried to enter. "Vous devriez prendre l'ascenseur suivant. Ma femme et moi, nous disputons." (You should take the next elevator. My girlfriend and I are fighting)

Selina again shot him a look that would have melted lead, but remained silent as the doors slid shut. Bruce smiled as he turned back to the sketch pad. He flipped the page and saw the one with the two of them. He held it in his hands for the remainder of the silent ride. The detail was such that it was like seeing at a photograph or a stolen memory from his own mind. He looked at the emotion she captured in both of their faces and in their eyes and he had an idea of why she hadn't wanted him to see the book. It revealed more than she was ready for.

The elevator stopped at the top floor and Selina stepped quickly through the doors. Bruce smiled softy as he followed, fondling the key card in his pocket as they approached the door. "Selina, you have to say something eventually..." She glared at him and reset her jaw stubbornly. Bruce looked at her amused as he leaned down to kiss her and she turned her head away. His lips landed on her cheek instead. He took advantage and trailed them along to her jaw and he whispered again to her. "Come on Selina. Do the accent for me. Parle moi vulgairement." (Talk dirty to me) Bruce sucked at her neck as he pushed her back against the door, letting his hands run up her sides. He pulled away in surprise as the lock clicked and the door opened.

Selina backed away from him and into the room shaking her head in disappointment as she waved the key card she had picked from his pocket. "Mauvaise fille."(Bad Girl) Bruce clucked his tongue as he followed her into the room. He placed the sketch pad down on their bags and took off his jacket. He could smell her light scent on the fabric and it had been driving him mad since she returned it. The desire was clear on his face as he looked at her.

Selina reached up and unfastened her dress, letting it fall to the floor at her feet. She walked toward him making sure that he enjoyed the view of her in her white garters and gold heels. She wound her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. "Monsieur Wayne... je suis une mauvaise fille. Peut-être même plus méchante que vous réalisez."(Mr. Wayne, I am a bad girl. Maybe even badder than you realize)

Bruce snapped his head to the side seeing the sly gleam in her eye. She captured his lips in a hard kiss, letting her teeth punish his tender lip with a light bite. Bruce cursed as he looked at her in disbelief. "Are you bloody kidding me?"

"Arrête de me sous-estimer Bruce. Ca blesse mes sentiments. Je ne prends jamais la voie facile pour un emploi."(Stop underestimating me Bruce. It hurts my feelings. I never take the lazy way out of a job.) Selina wrapped a leg securely around his thigh. "Tricks of the trade Mr. Wayne." She reminded him of the folly of believing what you expected. Her lips found his again before any anger at her actions could be brought to bear.

Bruce didn't know whether to be pissed or impressed.

She whispered in his ear a strange and wonderful amalgamation of French and accented English as she paid out on her commitment. Her hands freed him from his clothes and pushed him back on the bed. It was hypnotic to try and wrap around the chameleon like shifts in her voice. Bruce's moment of clarity hit when the spike of her heel dug into his back and he lifted his eyes to hers drowning in the passion he felt for her.

"Je te veux Bruce. Je n'arrêterai jamais de te désirer."(I want you Bruce. I will never stop wanting you)

"Selina. Tu es tout pour moi...tout." (Selina. You are everything to me...everything)

Selina felt the tightening constriction around her heart as his words bound her to him further. She felt his teeth skim along her throat and she knew he was frustrated and on the ragged edge tonight. She wanted to see him like that—uninhibited and wild. She told him that and his eyes flashed. Selina felt the power in his hands as the pressure immediately changed against her body and she was left hoping that it was not her that had made a crucial underestimation in Bruce Wayne...


	3. Chapter 3

The night still had possession of Monaco as Selina slipped from the hotel. She took a back exit, waiting until the night clerk nodded off before slipping by the desk. She was fully aware that the security cameras were recording her image as she went, but they were of no concern to her. Tonight was just play. Honing her stealth, speed, and agility. She was officially in training for the job.

Her sneakers landed lightly on the swirling blue marble as she slipped past the desk. Her form fitting black tights and track jacket offered not a whisper of sound to betray her. She pushed the door handle and was gone before the man raised his sleepy eyes.

The smell of the sea surrounded her as her feet tapped lightly off the paved sidewalk. The lights of Monaco reminded her of Vegas as she trotted down the path, endless lights in an endless night. Both islands of luxury and wealth, one born of the desert the other of the sea. She let herself go as she watched the reflection of the lights off the ocean, it was mesmerizing. The cool of the night was numbing her face and she zipped the jacket up further to allow her nose to nestle under the fabric until the run warmed her. She retraced the path to the bank and ran several laps around the perimeter. She then started widening the ring, taking in all of the streets that bordered the target. Eventually she started to feel the warmth and unzipped the jacket away from her face, allowing the air to travel freely to her mouth. Satisfied with the layout and building positions she ramped up the speed and timed her run back to the hotel.

Selina could see the early threads of light breaking over the surf when she arrived back at the posh hotel. She allowed her legs to cool with a tour around the enormous structure. She noticed a small garden behind the hotel and smiled. Trotting over she jumped the latched gate. Selina opened her arms wide and twisted her back, then leapt up and grasped the support beam of the pergola. She allowed her body to hang for a moment stretching her back free from the endless compression that came from running.

Spreading her grip wider she lifted herself with a slow controlled pulls. On the last Selina held her face above the beam in a static contraction. She focused on the overhand grip and reduced her movements to complete stillness. She held it quietly and then lowered herself by the tiniest of controlled releases until she hung again, fully stretched. Her eyes flicked up to the beam and she allowed her thumb and pinky to release their holds on each hand. She again pulled herself up with practiced ease.

Disappointed in her control and feeling the twinge in her right side as her abdominals fought to keep her body from swaying her brow furrowed as she concentrated on the movement. She felt her hands slipping and her grip was reduced to two fingers. Back in the day this would have been cake for her. It was standard ability for a free solo climber to pull up with a two finger over grip. Hell, at one point she had been able to do it with a two finger grip single hand. She felt the strength in her fingers give and dropped to the ground disgusted, her internal voice railing at her.

 _Maurice would be so pissed at you Selina_ … She glared up at the beam and blew out a breath."Shit, I'm out of shape."

Selina ran the stairs to the penthouse as punishment for her poor performance, her mind grinding on her with every step that she climbed. She pushed harder and harder against the truths that pierced her mind. _Stupid…lazy…not good enough…not strong enough…not smart enough…._ By the time she reached the thirty-fifth floor she was gasping and her stomach was heaving with the effort. Her body, bathed in sweat, shook in protest of the punishment she had dealt it.

She burst through the stair well door into the short hall that led to the penthouse and braced her hands on her knees. Her chest heaving air into her starved lungs as dark spots circled her vision. Jesus, I'm really out of shape. Her side burned as she felt her balance shifting without her permission. She rotated and pressed her back against the wall, allowing herself to slide down and land gracelessly on the carpet. Working now just to pull air into her lungs she rested her head back against the wall and slid her eyes shut. She tried to compose herself when she heard the door open, knowing Bruce was watching her.

Xxxx

Bruce reached out his hand and felt cool sheets beside him and then heard a paper crumple. He raised his head off the pillow and blinked his blurry eyes as he looked beside him and saw a sheet of hotel stationery. He pushed up on his elbow, fully alert now and snatched the paper off the sheets.

Went for a run - SK

He glanced over at her bag and saw that it was unzipped and various items were strewn around beside it. He flicked his wrist to engage the dials on his Omega watch. _It's not even 6:00am yet. Never even heard her leave._ He rubbed his face as he slid his legs off the bed, flexing his arms as he tried to gather his senses. He snatched his shorts off the floor and pulled them on, refusing to allow the automatic reflex of worry at knowing she was in the city alone. _She survived Gotham Bruce, she can survive a morning run in Monaco. You have to figure out how to live with who she is. Alfred, how did you stand this crap from me all these years..._

Working out actually sounded pretty good, he glanced down at his knee and lamented that it wouldn't be running for him. He had been a decent cross-country runner in college and Lacrosse had built him into an above average sprinter, but those days were long since gone. "Not now, not with this knee."

He let his elbows rest above the torn joints and studied them both closely. One braced one not, both scarred from endless injuries. Small round scars from the countless needles that had pierced him, pulling fluid from the joints over the years, but no scars from surgery. He considered the fact that he had never allowed Dr. Enquist to operate on them. He had flown in a dozen doctors for consultations and found him to be the only one with a positive prognosis in regards to his body and yet Bruce had declined the procedure.

He stood and inhaled a deep breath, rising up on his toes he dropped forward into a push-up position and started pounding them out. His muscles were compliant, they had familiarity with this drill from years of service, rippling beneath his skin like coiled springs. He felt the twinge in his shoulder and smiled grimly. You are falling apart rapidly Bruce.

Enquist had recommended the same treatment for the shoulder as well. Removing the remaining cartilage and replacing it with a synthetic barrier injected into the joint pockets. It would have to be repeated every few years as the deterioration of the joints progressed but the surgeon assured Bruce that he didn't mind traveling to the states to provide the specialized treatment and that Switzerland had excellent skiing should he chose to vacation there and have it done.

Bruce hadn't found it amusing that the young doctor would joke about skiing while he was leaning against a cane and he had told the surgeon as much. The younger man had laughed and said that he was making his own decision to lean on that cane. Bruce remembered his next promise clearly, "Come to my father's clinic Mr. Wayne and I will have you slaloming the black diamonds in two weeks."

He knew the reason why he hadn't pursued it. He had wanted the pain. It was all he had left of Rachel. He wanted to feel it, thought he deserved to feel it. He had failed her and the pain reminded him every day of that failure. The pain reminded him of the price he paid to be the Batman. The pain kept him from ever trying to be the Batman again. Until Bane...until Selina.

_What about now, Bruce? Are you finally ready to let the pain go...let Rachel go? What is it you think you deserve now?_

Bruce rolled on his back and began doing crunches and felt the ache bloom in his back. "I wonder how the Doc is with concussions and spinal injuries." Bruce laughed aloud at himself. _I am a total disaster…what the hell does she see in me?_

Bruce heard the door bang in the hall and then moments later a small thump. He twisted up to his feet, more lithe than a broken down man should be and moved quickly to the door. Looking through the privacy lens he saw her sitting in the hall.

xxx

"What have you been doing, Selina?" He looked down at her hoping annoyance would cover the concern in his voice.

Selina blinked up at him and smiled. Look at that chest. _Why the hell did I ever leave a bed that had him in it?...I am an idiot.._ "Training...doing a little recon…working on my escape route…the usual." She accepted his offered hand and let him pull her to her feet. She swayed a second and kept her hand on his arm to steady herself as they walked into the room. She again noticed his body, the corded muscles on his arm straining against her hands. They looked like they did after he exerted himself...usually after a roll with her. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, "The question is, what have you been doing Mr. Wayne?" She squeezed his bicep as her eyes drifted over his body.

"Training…over thinking my next move...brooding over the past...the usual." He poked fun at the both of them.

Selina batted her eyes at him, "Good thing for you I find moody men with fantastic bodies and checkered pasts a total turn on." She left him with the compliment as she walked into the bedroom zipping off her jacket and pulling off her black stocking cap and nylon gloves.

She pulled off her other layers as Bruce watched her from the door. Socks, running tights, running top and then there she was, the unpolished, Selina. Clad in a white sports bra, black panties with no makeup and her hair everywhere. He couldn't help but smile and think of their first time in the factory. "My God, but you are beautiful."

She looked at him awkwardly, aware that she looked a mess and understanding that he was mocking her. She brushed off his words with a murmured, "I'm sure." Her eyes dropped self-consciously as she turned away from him smoothing back her hair with quick hands. She knelt quickly to gather up some items for her shower. In the reflection of the dressing mirror Bruce watched her, and then he saw it. Her mask slipped and he saw Selina, with no defenses or guards protecting her. He saw the real Selina, unsure…vulnerable...afraid. The rawness of her humanity cut to the core of him and it took all he had to still himself, to not react to her pain.

He averted his eyes before she saw him in the mirror. It was enough that he understood her insecurities, her vulnerability. There was nothing to be had in violating her further by rubbing her face in it. He breathed a heavy breath and felt again how precarious his situation was with her. How much was going through her mind that he didn't understand? The answers he needed were to questions he knew he shouldn't ask. All of this made her unpredictable to him, maybe even to herself. "Selina, you are going to have to learn how to take a compliment, because when I say them I mean them." He continued to stare at the bed they had shared, letting himself remember last night. Her touch, the way she tasted, the soft light in her eyes when she smiled. He realized then how ill equipped he was to continue his life without her and the fear found him again.  _What if she ran? What if she took the Clean Slate and just vanished?_ He looked back to her only when she stood and faced him.

She found it hard to look at him with the soundtrack of hate from her childhood still playing in her head. _He deserves better than the damaged wreck that is standing before him now._ He had asked her to believe him when he told her good things about herself...but it was the bad things that were the truth, he just couldn't see it yet. _Self doubt, what a heartless bitch you are. Just when I thought I was through it_ … _it all flooded back over me again_.  

"I'll try," came her soft reply and he could see the lie in her eyes and heard the pain in her voice. But, sometimes you had to let the thief think they got away with their deception. He watched her slip into the bathroom and listened for the water to start. Bruce walked over to his bag and picked it up off the floor tossing it on the end of the bed. He jammed his hand down under the clothes until they found the box Fox had given him. He pulled it out and held it firmly in his hand. He felt marginally better at the thought of the security it would bring him and hoped it might bring her some as well.

xxxx

Bruce had spent most of the morning buried in research items on the bank and he was sitting out on the balcony now with his laptop as it loaded additional files. Selina reappeared with another short list of requests. "You sure you don't mind Bruce?" She felt bad bothering him with it as he had looked so relaxed looking out over the ocean. She had actually hesitated at the door and waited until he looked up and waved her out to him before she was willing to interrupt.

Bruce smiled over his glass of orange juice and took the list. "Yes Selina, I mind terribly helping a beautiful woman retrieve billions of dollars of my stolen money. She smiled a little at that and moved to go inside. "You sure I can't offer you some breakfast?" He motioned at the plate of fruit and raised his eyebrows. Selina shook her head and started to return to the couch where she had been studying over the information he had provided her. "Selina…"

She stopped and turned warily toward him. Bruce noticed the stiff set of her shoulders and felt the tension around her amp another notch. _She isn't going to make any of this easy Wayne._ He continued on undaunted. "Selina, I know you have a million things to do with the prep on this job, but it has been a long time, a very long time since I've been here." He tapped his fingers against the glass of juice in his hand. "Would you mind going with me tonight...to Monte Carlo? Have dinner, maybe gamble a little…"

She smiled softly at the effort he put into inviting her to dinner. "You sure you won't be recognized?" She drifted over to the black iron table where he sat.

He sat aside the glass and pushed back slightly in his chair. As he shifted his black silk robe fell open slightly, showing the white scars across his skin. "I don't think it's very likely. The high rollers don't normally winter in France, they are in more tropical climates. He considered her concerns and worked to alleviate them. "We can play it down and if I see any familiar people, we leave."

She had approached him gradually as he talked and was hovering beside him now. He looked up at her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Selina lifted her hand and ran her fingers along his jaw. "You think this is enough camouflage to hide Bruce Wayne?" She let her nails track through the short hair on his chin.

"I've seen the dresses you brought Selina, no one will be looking at me." He stated it plainly and honestly. Selina rolled her eyes. "See...right there." He tilted his head and took her hand from his face into his own. "That's what I'm not understanding, how do you not accept that as a fact?"

She lifted her eyes to his and gutted out the truth for him. "I'm having an identity crisis, I guess."

Bruce nodded in agreement, "If for some reason, you don't believe that you are going to be the most beautiful woman there... then yes, we have a crisis." The familiar twist of her lip as she looked down at him told him he was tracking the right way. "Come here." He pulled her down to his lap. Selina obliged him, hesitating slightly, she settled on the one knee she knew didn't have the brace. Bruce hadn't missed the thoughtful consideration she showed. _You got me Selina, just stop it already. You are just killing me._ Bruce lifted her chin and kissed her lips gently. "Talk to me Selina, what's going on?"

Selina waited for her familiar response to surface...lie..shut down...run...hide from the truth. She was surprised when they didn't come, relieved when they didn't come. She looked at Bruce and realized why they hadn't. He had a strength in his eyes born from the pain of his own past. She knew that beside her was a man as damaged as herself, that had found the strength to fight his way through hell and come out the other side. He had shared his journey with her and she could not find any reason why he shouldn't be trusted with the truth of hers. Her throat clicked dryly as she swallowed. She glanced over at his glass and it was in her hand before she could ask. She took the cold glass from him with a smirk. "You spoil me."

Bruce nodded, "I will if you let me."

Selina took a sip and placed the glass back on the table and sighed. "There are some things in my past that still get to me…eat away at me...make me hate myself, doubt myself. It's crippling at times." She exhaled a breath and gave him a small smile. "Bruce, I have a lot wrong with me." She laughed at how easily that truth escaped her lips.

Bruce smiled at her sadly, "Selina, you think you are the only screwed up person here? You are speaking to a guy that walks the streets dressed like a bat."

She smiled and again her hand found his face and she let her fingers play with the hair on his jaw. "Beats being a cat. Bruce, I don't even like cats."

"I don't like bats." He confessed.

Her lips tugged at the irony of their situation. "I didn't much care for them myself until I met you."

Bruce smiled and leaned into her hand, his heart beating harder than it should. "And now?"

Selina leaned down to him and kissed his cheek. "I am growing very fond of them, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce held her hand against his face. "I am growing very fond of you, Mrs. Kyle."

She smiled and laughed, "Wait until you get to know me better, all that will wear right off."

Bruce pulled her closer to him and warned her lightly, "Don't talk shit about the woman I'm seeing Selina. I'm not going to stand for it."

She could feel the power in his arms and heard the finality in his voice and she knew then that he was willing to protect her from everything, even from herself. All she had to do was the impossible and let him in, let him love her. She rolled her head on his shoulder and chided him lightly. "You are so overprotective, Mr. Wayne."

He kissed her forehead. You have no idea, Ms. Kyle.


	4. Chapter 4

Selina walked out of the bathroom and was surprised to see a note on the bed from Bruce.

I will be in the bar, waiting...

She smiled, he was really anxious to go tonight. If it hadn't been for that fact she would have begged off. She wasn't in the frame of mind to enjoy a night out. She dug through her bag of jewelry looking for her gold earrings and ended up dumping the bag across the top of the dresser. She rummaged around until she found them and then scooped the contents back into the black cloth bag. Selina smiled knowing that it would drive Bruce crazy to see her disorganization, he was such a neat freak. She knew right where that behavior stemmed from, Alfred

After she had agreed to go with Bruce, he had insisted that she decide on what she was wearing right then so that he could get the hotel to steam it for her. She declined and told him that she would just hang whatever she chose out in the bathroom while she showered and the wrinkles would hang out fine. He had looked at her with such a look of mortification that she had laughed aloud.

Bruce had regarded her outburst with a patient look of propriety, "Honestly Selina, Alfred would have fallen through the floor if he had heard you say that." That declaration sent her over the edge again as she laughed until tears glistened in her eyes.

She smiled as she hooked the earrings through her ears and checked her reflection in the mirror. The thought of young Master Wayne, learning the social graces and ways of high society at the hands of the proper Alfred Pennyworth entertained her tremendously. She had made Bruce regret ever telling her that Alfred called him Master Wayne, she smiled to herself as she imagined Alfred and Bruce together.

She had lay across the bed and demanded to hear Alfred stories and in repayment she allowed Bruce to choose her wardrobe for the night and send it out with the concierge. Bruce had obligingly regaled her with some of the more entertaining Alfred stories and she had truly enjoyed them.

She had only met Alfred once herself and it was only for a short interaction, but she had found him a formidable force to say the least. Having things running his way and adhering to what he believed to be the right and proper standard seemed to be the basic order of operation for Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce had substantiated her assessment up to and including Alfred's exit from his life.

"He handed me my ass." Bruce said frankly. "Told me to pull my head out and stop drowning in the past. He told me some painful truths that no one else would have had the guts to." Bruce rubbed his neck distractedly, "I hated him for it." He hesitated a moment, "He knew I would. He knew I would hate him and he did it anyway."

Selina looked at him with sad eyes, "You got over it, so will he."

Bruce smiled wistfully, "I damn sure want to believe that Selina. I need him in my life."

The love he felt for the old gentleman was clear as was Bruce's apprehension at seeing him again. She had finally asked him when he was going to Florence and Bruce had looked at her with a small smile. "When are we going to Florence you mean?"

She wrinkled her forehead and shook her head, "No way I'm going Wayne, you are facing that music all by yourself. He is going to be ecstatic that you are alive then he will probably put you over his knee. I'm not saving you from that…you deserve it."

He laughed at her prediction of Alfred's reaction. "Please, come with me." Bruce smiled and gave her a wink. "Don't make me beg you Selina, because you know I will."

_Dammit if he wasn't the sexist man I have ever met. Speaking of…he's waiting. I bet he looks good tonight too…_

She smiled and straightened the dress. She thought he had done well picking it as she admired the line of it. He had done more than pick it for the evening, he had actually selected and purchased it for her as well. Bruce had noticed it in a shop window as they were walking along the path in the market. When he pointed it out to her she had agreed that it was fantastic. He had doubled back and picked it up while she was busy, as he put it, "getting her claws repaired." She admired the French tip acrylic nails. _Damn if he doesn't love giving me grief over that stupid Catwoman name._

She looked at herself in the mirror and was surprised by the smile on her face. Maybe this night was exactly what she needed after all.

xxxxx

Bruce checked his watch and glanced at the stairs leading up from the bar. He didn't mind waiting, but the British bloke next to him was distracting him and he would be damned if he was going to miss seeing her walk in wearing that dress. He was taking a sip of his drink when he heard a low whistle from the neighboring stool and he knew that she was there. Lowering the glass he turned his head and watched her. The dress fit her to perfection, the dark fabric clung to every curve, dropping low between her breasts and slit high up on her thigh. The miniature lights hanging from the latticework around the door twinkled off the gold thread of the dress and she seemed more dream than reality. _I did this...I put her in that dress to torture myself...Mercy_

"I don't know about you sir, but I think I just died and went to heaven."

"I've heard heaven doesn't let women like her in." Bruce told him evenly, his eyes never leaving her as she searched him out.

"Bollocks! I'm not going then either," the man promised him laughing.

Bruce took another small sip of whiskey, "I'm rethinking it myself."

She stood at the top of the stairs and let her eyes adjust to the lower light level as she scanned the room. She finally found him and her lips slowly curled as she appraised him. He was standing by the bar leaning an elbow against it, a glass held casually in his hand. _The man could wear a suit, you had to give him that._ Dressed in all black, the suit was obviously custom tailored... _Very sharp Mr. Wayne._

The air seemed to have sucked out of the room as she slowly made her way to him. _Bruce either that dress is dangerously short or her legs are impossibly long. Either way, you might not make it to Monte Carlo, you might be lucky to make it out of this bar..._

Selina enjoyed her own view as she descended the steps and walked over to him. _I do love that goatee he has going...his shoulders are amazing…his eyes…_ She stopped in front of him and they stared at one another for a long beat. Bruce wordlessly offered her his glass and she accepted it taking a sip of the whiskey, her eyes never leaving his.

His British companion tried not to stare as his eyes broke away from them just long enough to share an incredulous look with the bartender.

Bruce felt the familiar burning urge when he looked at her and fought momentarily with his primal nature that demanded he take her back up to their room immediately. If they were going to go, it needed to be now. He was going to quickly lose the battle of wills, his mind was already thinking of excuses not to go.

She returned the glass to him, her lips wet with the fiery amber liquid. Bruce's eyes focused on her mouth as he threw down forty Euros on the bar. He extended his hand to the door and Selina walked ahead of him, he admired the deep plunge of the dress down her back as they left for Monte Carlo.

Xxxxx

He was almost disappointed she didn't fight him for the wheel when the valet brought the car. The young man had held the door for her as she stepped down into the seat and Bruce smiled at the kid when he looked over and gave Bruce a thumbs up sign.

Bruce dropped down in his seat and fastened the safety belt. He looked over at Selina and shook his head.

"What?" she asked him, a small smirk curling her lips.

He took a deep breath, "Nope, you don't know how to take a compliment, so I'm going to just save it."

Selina smiled again at him and leaned over, laying her hand high on his thigh. "What are you saving it for?"

He glanced down at her hand as she slid it higher on his leg. "Saving it for when you are ready to hear it and believe it."

"Do I need to save my compliments for you as well?" Her eyes sparkled at him as he pulled the car on the street.

"No, I can take a compliment." He shifted slightly in the seat as her hand drifted higher still.

She grinned, "Well Mr. Wayne, tonight you are looking very…" she removed her hand from his leg and gave him a thumbs up sign.

They both laughed at that and he was instantly grateful that she had accepted the night out with him. He needed it and she deserved it. He wanted this to be special for her, wanted her to remember it forever. He took his hand off the shifter and gathered hers from her lap. He brought it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against the back of her hand.

"You have such a way with the ladies Mr. Wayne." She flashed her eyes at him.

He gave her a lingering look, "Is it working on this lady?" She smiled and looked away out the window. Bruce grinned as he kicked up the speed for her and cornered the car tight on a curve.

"Nice." She gave him an appreciative wink.

"Well Selina, it's never too early to begin the foreplay."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Monte Carlo was everything he remembered, only this time he actually enjoyed being there. He lost a bundle on roulette and then made it back at the black jack tables. Selina fell in love with playing craps. She told him it was like returning to her roots, "like flying dice for lunch money in the school yard." No doubt she was throwing the dice like a pro, but she was playing it safe on the money she wagered. She wasn't one for gambling large on her rolls, especially considering it was Fox's money they were playing with. She glanced over at Bruce and smiled as she rocketed the red dice down the table.

Bruce understood her hesitancy to bet. She had nearly refused to sign the credit line that was opened under her pseudo identity. Bruce had to assure her that Fox was good for it and a damn sight more. In the end he had to promise her that he would reimburse Fox himself for any money they lost. She had reminded him that he was broke and he reminded her that she was about to change all of that. _I could battle like that with her forever, the back and forth of it. A battle of wit and will with a worthy opponent. It was addictive and exhilarating._

She had finally signed, but wouldn't take more than fifty thousand American dollars in chips. Bruce had started to argue with her, but she shut him down with a reminder that they were laying low. He accepted that he was foiled by his own words and conceded her the victory. Bruce decided the smaller end tables were actually more fun, the people cheering and laughing as they played. A far cry from the 'roller rooms' he was accustomed to where everyone acted like they were marching to a hangman's noose. Although, he imagined, given a chance Selina would be able to liven those stiffs as well.

She smiled up at him and shot the dice again, the table was letting her ride as the shooter. He didn't blame them, she had made a damn fortune for several of them. A vacationing couple from Texas that were betting her shots and had to reduce their ride to avoid exceeding the table limit. "Hard Eight!" the stickman called out, "She is hot tonight." Bruce watched her reaction to the dice and laughed at her cool reception to the roll. Selina smirked as she pulled her chips and slid the dice over to the young couple. A chorus of complaints accompanied that and Selina looked around in surprise. Bruce laughed, "Bad luck to leave in the middle of a streak, Ms. Pendergrass. You have to keep throwing until you bust or seven out"

"I'm hungry," she shrugged off the etiquette breach.

Bruce dropped a stack of his chips on nine. "Roll it."

Selina looked at him in disbelief. "That's a lot of money there hoss. "

He smiled widely at the detectable southern twang in her words. "I have a feeling." His eyes were dancing as he watched her.

"You make me lose Fox's money and you are gonna regret this. " Again the words drawled in her southern twang. She shot the dice and the table erupted as she hit nine. Bruce got mobbed by several of the more gregarious of the gamblers pounding him on the back and congratulating him on the payout. Selina just shook her head and grinned. "You are crazy."

He shook his head and yelled over the cheers, "Not crazy. Rich people are eccentric."

She watched him taking the accolades on his bet with mild annoyance. _Bastard is still poor until we pulled the job, so that makes him crazy in my book._

Bruce leaned over and tipped the stick man, and shoved over his chips. "Bank this and clear her ticket." The man nodded and hooked the chips. Bruce walked over to her and kissed her cheek. He let his lips drift over her ear, "I would have settled for the seven and a loss, I'm starving cowgirl. Hurry up and roll out."

She laughed at the cowgirl comment hoping he was enjoying her newest attempt at an accent.

She never hit her point five and it took six more rolls for her to finally bust and escape the table. She walked away with nearly ten thousand dollars and Bruce had totally cleared Fox's tab. She had done the math at the table and she figured he had about sixty-four thousand sitting in the coffer for later. Not a bad run so far. She smiled and hooked her arm through his as they walked into the restaurant. He gave her a smile and shook his head.

"What?" She tugged on his arm.

He looked away coyly. "Nothing." Selina laughed and kissed his neck as the waiter arrived and showed them to their table. The dining room was lavishly decorated and extremely refined, but crowded. Bruce pointed out to the patio. "You mind?"

She shook her head, much preferring its more casual atmosphere to the formality of the dining room. "Not at all, I could use the air, cool me off from my hot streak."

"We can't afford you to cool off too much, we still have to pay for dinner yet."

The waiter showed them to their table and left them to decide on their order. Selina watched Bruce as he perused the menu. He felt her eyes on him and dropped the menu slightly, "Something on your mind, Ms. Pendergrass?"

"Nope." She smiled and disappeared behind her own menu.

Bruce chuckled at her continued use of the accent, "See anything you like?"

Selina lowered her menu where he could see her brown eyes watching him over the top. "Yup, I sure do see something I like."

Bruce set his jaw as he looked at her. "What is it you want?"

He could see the light glittering in her eyes as she considered his question, "What I want ain't on the menu."

Bruce smiled, "You might be surprised at this place, they serve lots of things that _are not_ on the menu." They both smiled at his correction of her words. He glanced thoughtfully at her, "That night..when we danced, you knew the proper way to pronounce Ibiza"

She smiled brightly at him, "Yup."

Bruce laughed loudly at that. "You are... something."

A waiter arrived with a bottle of champagne that she hadn't heard Bruce order. She considered that, her head tilted slightly as she tried to read the expression on his face. _What are you up to Mr. Wayne…_ The waiter sat down a silver tray in front of her before he left. She looked down and saw it held a slender black box. She raised her eyes back to his. "For me?" she asked smiling lightly at his serious expression.

"Yes, for you." He tensed marginally as he watched her open the case. He heard her breath catch as she looked down at the pearls. "They do look better on you Selina."


	5. Chapter 5

Selina looked down at the pearls for a long moment then back up to Bruce. "I don't know what to say."

He was watching her intently, and he could feel the anxiety radiating off her in waves. Instantly he was rethinking everything. Should he have waited? Did he misjudge what they had? He clamped down on his emotions, not letting her escalating panic consume him as well. The reality was he was already in the middle of this and he had no intention of backing down and he damn sure wasn't letting her run. "You don't have to say anything, Selina, just put them on."

She took a deep breath, her mind racing with the significance of his offering. "I know what these mean to you Bruce." _The jewel thief grows a conscience._ The irony was not lost on Selina that she had no problem stealing them before...

He nodded, not attempting to lighten the sentimental value of the item. He wanted her to understand what he was giving to her. He wanted her to understand exactly where that put her in the hierarchy of his life. "If you understand what these are to me, then you know what it means for me to give them to you." He looked at her steadily. "And I will know what it means if you are willing to accept them."

She trapped him with those soulful caramel eyes of hers and there was such a deep sadness in them that he was certain that she was going to refuse him. _Wayne, if she says no…there will be no repairing the damage…she can't say no._

He leaned forward bracing his arms against the table top and looked at the pearls. "I remember how proud my father was of these." He smiled wistfully, "He showed these to me before he gave them to my mother. I remember thinking he seemed nervous, like maybe she might not like them." He chuckled lightly and gave a small smile of understanding, "I must say, I now find myself more…sympathetic to his situation."

Selina whispered, "You already know how fond of them I am Bruce."

He fixed her with his soft eyes. "I know you were fond enough of them to steal them. The question is, are you fond enough of me to let me _give_ them to you?" He waited for her response as she swallowed hard and blinked down at the string of perfect pearls. Bruce watched her as she took the necklace from the case and held them in her hand. The delicate orbs cascaded down her arm as the flickering light from the hurricane lantern illuminated the spheres.

Her throat worked for a moment as she tried to find her voice. "Do you realize how hard this is for me?" she whispered the question to him.

Bruce nodded, "I know it is, Selina." He didn't know why it was, but he understood something was preying on her, steadily trying to pull her away from him, making her doubt herself, doubt what they could have together. He knew she was struggling against it now. "I want you to have them, they belong to you Selina. I...belong to you. You just have to open up and accept it." She exhaled a long breath and dropped her eyes away from him. His jaw flexed, and he couldn't keep the frustration at the unknown trauma from her past from seeping into his voice. "Selina, stop running from me. I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you."

Her fingers shook slightly as she unclasped the catch on the necklace. Bruce stood and walked over to her. He took the two ends of the necklace into his hands and guided them around her neck. She swirled her mass of hair to the side so he could fasten it, tilting her face to watch him as he secured it around her. Bruce slid his hand up her throat and held her chin as he stared down at her. He smiled wistfully and shook his head. Selina's lips twisted into a slight smile. "What?"

"Nothing," he teased her with his now familiar refusal to share a compliment with her. She swallowed hard at the emotion that clogged her throat. Bruce smiled and winked at her, "Ms. Kyle, I think we both just had a break through."

Selina exhaled a held breath, "Well we know mine was pulling my head out of my ass, what was yours?"

Bruce caressed her face as the relief of her decision swept over him. "Selina, you just put a bullet into my billionaire playboy image. Good riddance to him." Bruce said with finality.

Selina smiled, "Alfred will be upset that all of his hard work creating your image just went down the drain."

Bruce knelt down beside her. "Alfred will kiss the ground you walk on for having the tolerance to deal with me in all my dark moodiness and the insanity that is my life."

Selina pulled him into a gentle kiss and then whispered. "Don't talk shit about the guy I'm seeing, I won't stand for it."

Bruce's eyes pierced through her as he looked at that necklace around her neck. He thought of the night she took it from the safe. He had thought her extraordinary, even more so, after she laid him on his ass…then the way she flipped out that window. Seeing them on her again the night of the masquerade ball… _Exquisite_ …He had wanted her so badly that night, wanted to see her in that necklace and nothing else…he wanted that again...desperately.

Selina had awoken something in him that had been dormant for years, emotions that he thought were dead and buried with Rachel. She had forced him to rejoin the world, to seek her out…pursue her to recover the irreplaceable necklace, one of the few remaining links to his parents. Now he was practically begging her to take it, to absorb it and make the memory of the pearls more than just the memory of loss.

He wanted more, he deserved more than he had allowed himself. Where had settling gotten him? Talia. He had placated his friends, and soothed his ego at losing his empire in her arms. It seemed like hollow empty reasons to have settled for her instead of going after what he had really wanted all along. He couldn't even fathom it now, anyone else would be a concession, a consolation to the true prize he desired. "I want you Selina, more than words can describe."

She smiled, "I'm yours Bruce."

He exhaled a ragged breath, "Promise me that, Selina. "

His eyes locked on hers and she felt his desperate need for reassurance, to hear her commitment to stay with him after all else had been lost. After losing family, friends, fortune and a future with the woman he had loved, Bruce expected her to be his redemption. Selina Kyle, of all people, was who he looked at to become his last bastion of safety, his shelter in the storm. How twisted and lost was this man that Selina, with her shattered past and tainted soul could possibly represent salvation?

"I am yours for as long as you want me, Bruce." That was as true as a statement as she could make. Selina was no fool, she understood who she was to him. She was the woman he needed right now, a cohort in a costume. Eventually when he returned to his life of prestige and privilege she would be a memory, she only hoped that she wouldn't be a regret. Selina felt the sting of tears and shut her eyes against them. Bruce kissed her again and she lost herself in the feel of his arms and the taste of his lips.

_No man will ever make you feel like this again, Selina, let him in…be strong this one time...be the woman he needs you to be…Love each other, even if it's just for a short while._

Xxxxx

The dinner they shared was a blur, Selina didn't eat much and was starting to feel the effects of the Champagne as they left the casino. Bruce politely refused her offer to drive them back to their hotel. Instead he opened her door and ensured she found herself safely into the seat. He dropped the belt over her and snapped it as his lips pressed against hers and he encouraged her to let him explore her mouth deeper, heedless of the other patrons that were waiting for their vehicles. He had waited...too damn long he had waited, and he wasn't waiting any longer.

He blew out a breath as he favored himself with another look at Selina's long legs before he closed the door. _If I can't make serious time back to Monaco I am going to have to pull over to the side of the road with her like a damn seventeen year old boy._

Bruce dropped in beside her and fired up the car, the RPMs redlined and then recovered as he pushed it harder than he should have out of the casino. Selina smiled at him and he regretted not burning the tires down for her. He let them spin coming out of third when they hit the highway and Selina flashed her eyes at him dangerously. She leaned over the arm rest and let her hand rest atop his on the gear shift. "It's never too early Bruce…"

He slid the shifter into fourth and let her guide his hand to her bare thigh. Damn that dress is short. His hand drifted up her soft skin and found the lace barrier between her legs. He focused hard on the road as he knew there were dangerous curves ahead, he glanced over at her. _Dangerous curves right beside you Wayne, very damn dangerous._ He grunted as he felt her hand press down over him. Hard already, he reflexively pushed into her hand. "Selina…please."

She saw the turn before he did and dropped her free hand to the gear shift, "Allow me, you seem to have your hands full. Clutch," she demanded.

Bruce let up on the gas and stamped down heavier than needed on the clutch as she smoothly shifted the car into third. Bruce cornered it expertly despite having only one hand on the wheel. He accelerated midway through the curve and pressed the clutch pedal as Selina up shifted, flawlessly in sync with one another. She squeezed her hand gently around him and he suppressed a moan as his hand continued to work on her. She arched in the seat as his fingers stimulated her sensitive flesh. He could feel the heat and moisture through the delicate fabric. She's ready...I'm four miles past ready... "Selina… stop…you have to stop."

Selina grinned and leaned over to kiss his neck trailing her tongue along his throat up to his jaw and nibbling her teeth against his earlobe. He took advantage of her shifting in the seat to twist his hand under her panties. His fingers slipped into her and she moaned in his ear. _Fuck...fuck...that was harder on me than having her hand in my lap. Concentrate Bruce...fuck...we are almost there. Please damn it._ He worked his fingers deeper as she pushed against his hand. "Selina go to third."

She chuckled a throaty laugh, "This _is_ third, Mr. Wayne." He flashed a dangerous look at her as she dropped the gear shifter into position. "No sense of humor at all," she grinned at his less than amused reaction to them being at third base.

Bruce reluctantly pulled away from her and demanded she stay on her side of the car before he drove them off an embankment. The consolation was that with his attention back on the road, he could safely push the car that much faster. The red Bugatti Veyron roared up the hotel drive and slid to a quick stop. Bruce watched as Selina lowered her dress primly on her thighs before the attendant opened her door. His own muscles strummed and vibrated as he cut the ignition and he caught a flash of her hip as she bounded out of the seat. He summoned what little control he had left and followed her.

Selina was almost to the door already when she turned back and saw Bruce toss the valet keys to the million dollar car like he couldn't have given a shit less what happened to it. "You in a hurry?" she laughed at him and he gave her a smoldering look that promised she would regret teasing him.

He pulled her into the elevator and she leaned into him as they waited for it to ascend to their floor. Bruce tried not to let his hands travel her body, it was bad enough that her breast was brushing the back of his arm as she breathed. She shifted against him and he growled. "Selina, stop or I am going to pull this emergency switch and the security officers are going to get a show." He nodded up to the cameras hoping she would heed his warning.

Selina raised her eyebrows, "Why would I care?"

"I care," Bruce stated flatly. "The only man who gets to see you naked now is me."

She broke her contact with him and smiled. "Is this better for you?" She walked a slow circle around him.

"Not really." Bruce let his eyes roam over her as she moved. He found himself counting down the floors until he could put an end to this.

The bell dinged at the top floor and it was like two prize fighters getting released from their corners. Bruce grabbed her around the waist and twirled her through the sliding doors. Selina sunk her fingers into his hair and bit down on his earlobe as her leg hooked over his hip. "Fuck, Bruce…hurry"

He slammed her against the wall beside the door, harder than he intended and was grateful that the sound she made was one of pleasure as he ground himself against her. _Remember who you are dealing with Wayne, stop underestimating her. Stop holding back.… remember who you are dealing with Wayne, some bastard hurt her before, you can't afford for her to not trust you._

He drew back and looked at her for a long moment. Selina's eyes were wild with the desire he had built up in her and he knew he was suffering under the same dangerous effects from her. "My control is slipping," he confessed in a hoarse rasp. In truth he felt like it was gone entirely. He felt like an animal, all passion, instinct, and power. "Don't let me hurt you Selina." His breath came in shallow pants and his muscles strained with need as he waited for her.

 _Oh shit…I think the training wheels just came off._ Selina smiled and tilted her head as she whispered a lewd command in his ear. Bruce swore in relief as his head dipped under her chin and his teeth grazed her throat and he pressed her harder against the wall. She slid her hand along the wall and slipped the room card into the lock. Bruce grinned against her throat realizing she had managed again to pick his pocket. "Thief."

"Vigilante," she retorted.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

Selina awoke several hours later lying across the bed on her stomach, still underneath Wayne. When she shifted, his arms tightened around her waist and his head settled against her low back. By God in heaven she felt like she had been hit by a train. She grinned and blushed as she thought of their night. The room looked as bad as her body felt. It was wrecked, furniture out of place, lamps knocked over, bed sheets scattered. She tried unsuccessfully to repress a snicker of amusement.

She glanced over her shoulder at her slumbering companion, she was reluctant to wake him, but she needed the bathroom. She wiggled out from under him and was relieved when he released her and turned over onto to his back. She smiled down at him, his hair was a mess and his body was wrapped in only a strip of sheet. _Could he be any more beautiful? Answer...no he could not._

Selina grabbed the other sheet off the floor and tossed it lightly over him, admiring him for a moment longer she went quietly to the restroom. She looked at her reflection and smirked as she saw the first light bruises appearing around her mouth and throat. They had gone to the wild side for sure last night. Even her hair hurt she realized when she ran a hand through it. She shook her head and grinned as she remembered his hands wadded in the strands controlling her with it.

 _Fuck. That was what we had done last night._ She fondled the necklace before unclasping it and laying it gently on a cloth by the sink. They had a breakthrough alright, then they celebrated by turning loose on one another like they had wanted to from the very beginning. Bruce. She smiled and shook her head in amazement. _You are truly unstoppable..._ She flexed her aching muscles, _and strong as hell_. ...

She flipped the shower on and checked the time. _4:30am. I can do my morning running route and when I get back he might be ready for breakfast...then Florence._ She was apprehensive about going with him to see Alfred. She was certain it was something that would be better accomplished without her in tow, but Bruce was insistent.

After hearing Bruce speak of him, Selina realized this would be more like meeting Bruce's father than his butler. At least it was as close to meeting a parent as either of them would get. She grimaced at the thought. I _'m not exactly the woman men introduce to their families. Bruce and I are playing by a different set of rules than most couples, I hope Alfred can buy into that...into me...for awhile anyways._

She slipped into the hot water and let it warm her body as she started trying to loosen her aching muscles. She rubbed her side absently, the stitches were dissolving and starting to itch.

"You alright?" the deep voice sounded directly behind her.

It startled Selina into a yelp and she nearly fell when she spun around to face him. Bruce reached quickly to steady her with his outstretched arm. "Jesus Wayne!" She clasped a hand to her mouth. "You scared the hell out of me!"

He quirked a small smile, "Actually, I was trying to make sure I hadn't." He lifted his eyes to hers, "Scared you that is," his voice was serious and his concern evident.

Selina smiled and rolled her eyes, "Yes Bruce, you are terrifying. In fact, Batman should dress up like you." She slicked the water back from her face grinning at him.

Refusing to fall in with her humor, Bruce reached out and touched her neck, "I got rougher with you than I should have, I'm sorry."

Selina pulled him into the shower with her. "I'd like to believe I gave as good as I got." Her eyes flicked over the fresh marks on his chest.

He continued to stare at her unblinking, "I can handle pain."

Selina's mouth twitched, "So can I, Bruce." His jaw flexed and she saw the regret in his eyes. "I'm fine Bruce. You didn't do anything to me that I didn't want done, and that I didn't enjoy by the way." She kissed him on the corner of his down turned lips. She turned back into the water with him at her back and smiled as his arms slowly circled her waist and then she heard his quiet exhale of breath.

_What was that...relief? At what? Had he really thought he hurt me, or was he expecting that I would become some emotionally damaged wreck because we had a rough round? How could he even consider that I would equate sex with him to the shit that happened..._

She shut her eyes for a moment and her brows furrowed as she thought about this from his perspective. _How would he know?_ The mystery of her past had him apologizing for their night together. She didn't need him tiptoeing around her, treating her like some porcelain doll. _We have been through too much shit for that to be what we are to each other. How long do these memories get to haunt me until it's enough? Screw it._ She faced the swirling marble wall and stood in still silence, feeling his heartbeat against her back. "Bruce, do you want to know?"

"Yes," came his immediate response.

She let a small smile curl her lip. _No hesitation, no political plays, no passive aggressive mind fucking of pretending he didn't want to hear it when he really did. Just the simple truth that he wanted to know. He had accepted my right to privacy, but that didn't stop him from wanting to know. After all the shit he opened up to me about in his own life, why shouldn't I lay this out there for him?_ She leaned back into his chest and felt his arms tighten around her. She exhaled a breath and shut her eyes. She had never told anyone, never verbalized it even once in her life.

His arms tightened reflexively when she leaned back into him. It was impossible for him not to go into protection mode, he existed every moment of his life in it. He waited, trying to both share his strength and control his emotional response to whatever she was going to tell him.

"It was my father." She paused for a moment then continued, "He molested and abused me when I was a child."

Bruce shut his eyes and tried to control the unmitigated hate that curled within him. He wanted his hands around the bastard's neck…

She continued in a robotic like cadence. "I ran away from home at nine and started living on the streets." She tilted her head back and let the warm water splash down on her face. When she turned to face him she was surprised to see anger, not pity coloring his face. She smiled ruefully, _Damn if we aren't so much alike._

"Relax Bruce, he got his. Unfortunately I cannot say it was had from that blind justice system of yours." She reached down and grabbed up the shower gel and a cloth. She squeezed the vanilla soap onto the cloth and scrubbed roughly at her face and her arms.

Bruce's easy touch stilled her hard movements and he calmly took the cloth before she removed the hide from her body. His arms slid around her and he held her to his chest, tucking her under his chin, as his hands massaged the cloth across her shoulders and back. "What happened to him?"

The controlled anger sharpened his words and Selina wished for a second that Bruce would have had a chance to meet her dear old dad face to face. She must have tightened her arms around him because she felt the muscles flex in his back as he secured her tighter to his chest. _Jesus he was strong…_ "He got handled by Adriano Carpanzano and his boys."

Bruce worked the name for only a few seconds before it came to him. "Gotham mobster. Worked the docks years back, smuggling, and the protection racket if I recall correctly." He picked his brain for more as she listened, her eyes widened as his voice continued. "GPD sent him up for life for the torture murder of a man down at the docks."

Selina blinked and her voice was steady when she confirmed his memory. "You know your Gotham crime history Mr. Wayne."

Bruce nodded, "It helps to know your enemy."

Selina nodded against the slick skin of his chest, "That it does." She pulled back from him and was amused that he only yielded the space necessary to look at him and not a bit more. "Do you happen to remember anything about the 'victim'?"

Bruce heard her nearly choke over the word victim and he understood immediately who it had been. He looked at her intently as he tried not to find grim satisfaction in the details he remembered. "Only they didn't kill him right away. That Adriano and his men worked him over in ways that made veteran officers puke their toenails when they saw the scene."

Selina watched him with guarded eyes, "Sometimes justice comes quicker in the street."

Bruce cleared his throat, "Justice or revenge?"

Selina smiled weakly, "Can't a girl have both?"


	6. Chapter 6

 

Bruce held her against him as her question lingered in his ears. He tried to ignore the small pulses of pain sparking behind his eyes. He hooked the washcloth on the hanger and allowed his hands to massage against the skin of her back. He remembered carrying his college roommate’s revolver to the courthouse that day. How different would things have been if the hit on Chill hadn’t happened? Would he have done what he intended to do? The satisfaction he felt watching him fall was unmistakable. It was disgusting and shaming but completely undeniable that Bruce believed he would have killed him.

His voice was a whisper, but still seemed too loud for the moment, “You can have both Selina, but I think you lose some of your humanity in the process.”

She nodded, “Makes you colder…makes you into someone that you didn’t want to be…but that maybe you actually needed to be…to survive.” She squeezed him and pushed gently away, her eyes apologetic, “I’ve got a date with my running shoes Mr. Wayne.”

The smallest twitch of his lip revealed his dissatisfaction.

She smiled reassuringly and pressed a small kiss on the traitorous lip that had betrayed his emotion. “I won’t be long.”

Bruce let her slip from his arms without protest. He hesitated a moment before stepping further into the water, turning to let the warm stream pound against his back. His eyes were drawn to the pearls on the counter and his unblinking green eyes stared vacantly, his face a mask of unreadable dispassion.

“Take your phone,” he called out and listened intently for her response. Selina walked back into the bathroom in her white sports bra, adjusting her black running tights as she regarded him with questioning eyes.

Bruce rubbed his temples against the increasing pain. _Shit I don’t need this today._ He lowered his voice register without realizing he was doing it. “Your phone, take it with you. I want to be able to contact you if I need to.”

She heard the grim determination in his voice and knew there was no refusing him. He watched her drift out of the room wordlessly and hoped she followed direction; he was in no condition to be arguing with her.

Selina reappeared a few seconds later with the Wayne Enterprises satellite phone, watching Bruce as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. She intentionally made some noise as not to startle him as she approached. Rattling the pill bottle gently, she smirked as his eyes rolled open and he looked at her with that battle weary gaze of his. _Thousand yard stare_ , she thought to herself.

“Ready to negotiate?” She smirked as she held up her hands—in one a cell phone, the other a bottle of pills.

“Selina…” Bruce heard the warning in his voice and he didn’t like that it seemed threatening. _Knock off your shit, Wayne._

Selina just smiled wider and tucked the phone between her bare arm and her body as she opened the pill bottle and shook out two. She recapped it and sat the bottle on the counter, jostling the small white capsules in her palm as she recovered the phone with her free hand. She presented them both to him as options.

Bruce glowered at her as she stood there smiling in her sports bra and bare feet, waiting on him to give in. “What are those?”

“Migraine medicine,” she replied without hesitation. “Fox got them for you before we left Gotham. The earlier you take them the more effective they are.” She held them out to him, “So take them now, without argument and I take the phone on my recon run.”

“Without argument?” Bruce confirmed her commitment because he was deteriorating fast and arguing was the last thing he wanted. She nodded and waited on his response. Bruce held out his hand and she dropped the pills into his palm, he tossed them in his mouth and swallowed. Selina flashed the phone at him and slid it into a compartment at her waist.

“The phone’s not on,” Bruce growled irritated at the negotiations he was being forced into.

“The pills are under your tongue,” Selina shot back equally annoyed.

Bruce landed an arm against the tile wall and exhaled a breath, she was pressing him. “Selina I don’t like prescription pills.”

“I don’t like being put on an electronic leash,” she retorted, seemingly amused as she watched the anger building in him. “How about we both give some ground on this Bruce?”

Bruce stared at her for a long moment, resituated the pills in his mouth and swallowed them. She pressed a button on the phone and he saw it powering up as she zipped it into the thin tights.

“Leave the bottle. I want to know what I’m taking, and turn on your GPS.” He turned away from her and dipped back under the heat of the water. He stayed there for a long while trying to relax and clear his head.

He scrubbed himself down and rinsed out his hair a final time before cutting the water. Standing there for a moment, he let the water run off his body as he thought about what his next steps needed to be. The constant throbbing pain in his knee as he stood without the brace sealed his decision on the surgery. If he was going to have a life that encompassed more than a few rooms in the west wing of the manor he needed mobility.

He thought of Selina running the streets of Monaco and felt a deep longing to be beside her, feeling the brisk morning air filling his lungs as his legs worked. _It’s been so long since I felt that freedom._ His hands drew into fists and he pressed them into the sweating marble wall as the frustration built. He worked to control his emotions as he pressed through the foggy haze of pain and anger that threatened to overwhelm him.

_Focus on what you can control. What next Bruce? Think…think._

His headaches were obviously an issue that was affecting more than just him if Selina had felt the need to solicit meds from Fox. He had tried to hide the pain from her, most days he thought he was successful. His lips curled in an unhappy smile as he realized how different he acted when the pain took hold. There was always white noise in his head from the concussions, but when the pain really flared it altered everything. It was like blackness creeping over his brain, a systems shut down, a rolling blackout in his mind. He didn’t know what the doctors could do about it. He dreaded to think it might mean medication everyday... _You will suck it up and deal with it... for her you damn sure will._

He had recognized the pills she gave him as the same ones from the plane, they had obviously worked then, and they seemed to be taking the edge off now.

_How long since you swallowed them, twenty minutes maybe? What else Bruce? Think. The bank… Fox and Selina were tracking on their ends of the bank job…Alfred this afternoon…that left only, Blake._

He limped out into the room neglecting to towel off, enjoying the liberating freedom of the complete and total security in his own skin that allowed him to stroll around the penthouse, as Selina put it, “bare-assed.” The sensation of the cool air around him took away from the pain in his body, almost like ice packing after a hot soak.

A smile drifted over his face as he thought of Selina’s response to this habit of his from the previous day. She had looked up from her computer, the chewed end of her pencil dangled from her lips as she watched him walk naked across the living area and into the kitchen to make coffee. When he had turned around she was still staring at him with a strange look of befuddlement on her face. He raised his brows and asked if there was anything she needed. She had made a small sound in her throat that wasn’t really a word then just shook her head no.

He cut up a green apple that they had purchased from the market and tossed some black berries on a small plate while the water heated and percolated through the coffee maker. He felt her eyes still on him and he glanced up and asked her pointedly, “Am I distracting you, Ms. Kyle?”

She jerked out of her reverie and cleared her throat, “Ahh, no…” She forced her eyes down to the computer screen and they gravitated right back to him. He was still watching her in mild amusement, and smirked as he caught her ogling him again.

“You sure?” He tossed a berry into his mouth as the coffee started draining into his waiting cup.

Selina smiled and nodded, but she shut down the lid to her laptop when he crossed the room and sat down across from her to have his breakfast. He flipped open the top to his laptop and smiled over at her.

She dropped her chin into her palm and stared at him openly, “So you are just gonna sit there and have brunch bare-assed?”

Bruce smiled as he sipped the dark Italian blend coffee. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen, besides we are in Europe.” as if that should explain everything to her. Truth be told, he wasn’t an exhibitionist and definitely not a nudist. His affinity for unfettered skin most likely stemmed from forcing himself into the Bat suit. It made him appreciate the freedom from its restrictive grip. He didn’t get to indulge in this behavior around the manor, even in his bedroom. Alfred was always about and would roll his eyes and tell him that he did not work at the YMCA and therefore should not be subjugated constantly to the sight of naked men. He would hold out a robe and tell him to cover up like a right and proper lad.

Bruce repeated that morning’s routine now without the benefit of an audience. Coffee, fruit, computer.

He searched around for his laptop and found it under the one Fox had supplied Selina with; he hesitated and tossed her sketch pad on top as well. He felt the mental debate begin and crushed it with the fact she had let him see it before. He booted the computer and new software from Fox began loading. He decided to take the delay to peruse through Selina’s drawings.

He rolled his shoulders and massaged lightly at his temples trying to encourage the pain to lessen its grip. Sighing deeply he flipped open the sketch book and started at the beginning. He spent time with each drawing, revisiting them like old memories.

He had always had an affinity for art. He and his mother had spent many a day walking the galleries of Gotham. Bruce often found himself absorbed so deeply in a piece that it would be time to leave before he even made his way through the exhibits.

He loved the details, the individuality of the brush strokes. He smiled as he thought of his mother standing beside him, stroking his hair as he looked up at her. She had loved the galleries, she had especially loved that Bruce had a passion for them as well. His mother always said that every work of art was a confession. She would ask him what the paintings were saying about the artist. He would lean back against her and they would stare together at a painting or a sculpture and talk about what they saw, what the artist was confessing.

He remembered hearing her in his head the first time as he worked on crime patterns in the cave. Being appalled and disgusted that the terrible photos scattered across his desk would evoke any memory of her. Her quiet strength and detailed focus quickly showed him why his thoughts ran to her.

_This is an intentional creation, Bruce. They are saying something using murder as their medium. What do their patterns tell you about them? Every action is a confession Bruce. What are the details telling you?_

He looked at Selina’s drawings; they were not interpretations, they were snap shots of reality, as much a photograph in time as if she had shot it on film. _The confession for her was not in the license she took with the details in her pictures, they were simply the brutal reality. Her confession was found in her choice of muse. What spoke to her enough to cause her to reach for her pencil?_

He glanced over at the waiting computer and punched up the secure access path to the computer servers in the Batcave and bypassed them. He returned to the sketch pad as the server verification failed and his remote access link was firewalled.

He turned the page to her newest entries, removing several notebook pages tucked in the spine. They were trajectories and elevations relative to the bank. There were doodles around the border of them, flowers and vines and around the other, little bats. He smiled setting them aside, wanting to look at her possible entry points.

The next picture hit him like a hammer. It was the pit, the spiraling hole to the sky. He felt the wind leave his chest as he looked at it. His throat clicked dryly as he felt the despair clutch his stomach. He looked at the bottom of the page and hands of men were pressed against the stone walls, stretching and clawing up to freedom. His eyes flashed away and for a moment he felt vertigo, like the picture was drawing him in. He fought the sensation of falling. _If you look... you will fall, you will realize that you have been there the entire time...at the bottom of that pit._

He forced himself to look at it again. The spiraling stone, the cracked and broken ledge. “Jesus,” his voice was a harsh croak. _It was...perfect_. He blanched at that word... _perfect_ would never be an acceptable description of that hell. But this rendering was… _powerful and true._ He had described it to her and she had captured it from his mind in such cruel detail that it left him shaking.

He heard the panting of his breath and forced himself to still, forced the control to come. His eyes poured over the page, narrowing as he looked at the hands… _Bane_.

There it was, the leather sleeve that he had worn over his right arm. Bruce felt his blood chill. Mixed in the midst of dozens a smaller, more delicate hand with a printed sleeve— _Talia_. His mind flashed to her hand holding the knife, the Arabic pattern on the smock sleeve.

He searched harder and recognized his own hand… _the scar from when I wrecked my bicycle_. He flicked his eyes to the tale-tell circular white ribbon on the webbing of his left hand and confirmed it again in the drawing. He shut his eyes against it and pulled deep breaths into his lungs.

He fought his eyes back to the page and finished it, he knew he would find them all there. The fingernails, shattered and torn, broken on the unforgiving ice…hands small and feminine but powerful. Selina’s hands.

The computer beside him beeped and his attention snapped over. He focused his unflinching eyes on the incoming message.

 _‘Wayne?_ _’_

He his quick fingers hesitated before he typed a response…before he fed the pit another victim.

_‘Blake._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Selina yawned and stretched her shoulders before allowing her eyes to drift over to Bruce. “I wish you had let me drive.” She brushed her hand along his temple and settled it against his neck.

His smiled reassured her, “Pain is gone now, driving helps control my nerves.”

She nodded and he returned his attention to the road. She smiled wistfully as she remembered their trip from the night before. There was a very different atmosphere between them today than their sexy escapade home from Monte Carlo. He was tense and she was apprehensive. She pulled her long hair back and twisted it into a casual pony tail as she reconsidered everything about the trip. Nothing felt right to her.

She was dressed in a conservative blue summer dress and Martha Wayne’s pearls. Bruce had shaved off his facial hair and adopted sunglasses as his camouflage. She guessed that his intentional casual choice of clothing was an attempt at camouflage as well. Gone were the tailored shirts and suits, he had instead picked a combination of jeans, white cotton shirt, and nondescript lavender button down, which, Selina noted, was unbuttoned _all_ the way down, in a very un-Bruce Wayne fashion. She felt they were both severely underdressed for meeting Alfred.

“Will Sir Alfred approve of this casual fare, Master Wayne?” She fondled a fold of his loose cotton shirt.

Bruce looked over with a smirk, “He has seen me wearing worse.”

Selina smiled intrigued, “Like what?”

“A league of shadows uniform covered in mud, the bat suit melted and soaked in street grime, a flashy geometric dress with ice blue eyeliner…” He glanced over and watched her expression.

She crinkled her eyebrows and snorted, “What are you talking about Wayne?”

He shrugged mysteriously, “You will have to ask Alfred. I have no doubt he will be happy to embarrass the hell out of me with as many stories as you desire him to recount.”

Selina nodded in satisfaction, “So then you _have_ decided the whole ‘see each other across the crowded café and never share a word thing’ is for the movies, not reality?”

Bruce gave her a patronizing look, “It wasn’t my romantic happy ending Selina, it was his.”

Selina acquiesced with a smirk and looked out the window as the rugged countryside slipped by the windows. The road skimmed along the coast line with a beautiful view of the ocean, but Selina looked toward the rocky crags of mountains that jutted on the horizon of Italy.

Bruce glanced over and followed her gaze, “Give me the word and I make a left here and in four hours we are in Zurich…” He almost wished she would give the word, he was legitimately nervous about seeing Alfred. _What if…_

Selina dropped her hand to his on the gear shifter and Bruce felt his breath catch and his thoughts disintegrated as he remembered their drive last night _. Don’t start this again, please don’t…_

Selina, was oblivious to his internal struggles. “Alfred isn’t in Switzerland, Bruce, and neither is your money.”

Bruce glanced down at his knee involuntarily as he contemplated telling her about the surgery. _Not today Wayne, you have a full enough agenda._

“Maybe a vacation after all this then?” he offered with a small smile.

Selina rolled her head back over to him. “A vacation from your vacation?” They both laughed at the humor in that. She smiled, liking the crinkle of his eyes when the humor reached them. “You ever mountain climb, Bruce?”

Bruce had to force the memory of the trek with the blue flower from his mind. “A few times, I’m familiar with repelling gear and climbing knots.” He considered her for a moment when she didn’t offer any information. “You?”

She nodded, seemingly far away in her memories, “Solo free climbing.” Her eyes were drawn to the snow capped mountains in the distance, “Never ice climbed though.”

He detected the thread of want in her voice and it became a priority that she have the experience. He made a note to research climb organizations in the area of the clinic. _Just like that Bruce? The woman wants it and she gets it?_ He had never operated like that in his life. Women hung off him and solicited for jewels and cars and none of it had ever mattered. _But this one…this one doesn’t even have to ask and you are like a genie granting wishes._

“What about skiing?” he asked drawing her back to him from the depths of her thoughts.

She shook her head, “Never had the opportunity.”

Bruce turned his hand over and clasped hers in his palm. “I can’t wait to take you. With your balance you will be a natural.” He was happy when she met his eyes and smiled at the small compliment. _See Selina, it’s not that hard._

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Bruce pulled up outside the address Lucius gave him; the property was stunning. It was enormous, but somehow still blended into the surrounding community. The clean straight lines of the walls and typical red shingling kept true to the feel of the old city. The grounds had landscaping and distance which was the true testament to the wealth that was tied into the structure. The city was crowded and tight, space was a commodity not to be wasted. Yards and grounds translated into wealth and this had a vast expanse of lawn surrounded with gates and a Fox approved security system.

Selina swallowed and looked up at the impressive stone structure before glancing over at Bruce for reassurance. “You sure we are here to meet your butler?”

Bruce smiled and dropped his head. “Alfred has always been something more than just a butler. He’s...” his voice broke off as he watched the gate swing open and a gun-metal grey Rolls Royce appeared with Alfred at the wheel. Bruce flinched and narrowly resisted the urge to duck down in the seat, immediately feeling like he had when he was a kid and Alfred caught him up to mischief. He chanced a glance over at Selina and found her grinning at him in obvious pleasure.

Gone was any apprehension she had, it was replaced with delightful anticipation.”An English butler that has the power to intimate the Batman... Oh, this is going to be awesome.”

Bruce just laughed and leaned across the divide and gave her a quick kiss before he dropped his sunglasses down from their perch on his head. “Selina, you are killing me.”

He slipped the car into first and trailed after Alfred Pennyworth. He smiled at the thought that Alfred may get his romantic happy ending at the café after all.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quote that inspired me on Martha’s character...also sounded like a Selina-like description of why she draws...:)
> 
> “A guilty conscience needs to confess. A work of art is a confession.”
> 
> -Albert Camus-


	7. Chapter 7

Selina laid her head on Bruce’s shoulder as they stood watching Alfred walk through the small market. The way Bruce looked at the older gentleman made her heart ache for them both. She wondered how it was possible that Alfred couldn’t feel the heavy weight of Bruce’s eyes on him as he moved through the crowd of people. She felt Bruce sigh and his arm tightened around her waist.

“Go up there and get this over with fraidy cat,” she grumbled before kissing his neck.

She felt the rumble of a laugh in his chest and the press of his lips against her ear, “I’m not the cat. I’m the bat, remember?”

She smirked, “Either way, we are both afraid of your butler.”

Bruce nodded so that she could feel his agreement with her assessment as he wrapped her in his arms. He watched Alfred from behind the mirrored aviator sunglasses as the older man put a painting into the trunk of the Rolls. Bruce glanced around and spotted a likely destination overlooking the Ponte Vecchio.

“I think that could be the café, Selina.” He nudged her and she lifted her head to follow his sight line. Glancing over at Alfred she smiled lightly as she watched him load the item into the trunk carefully arranging it for the journey back to his home.

Bruce anticipated a question, “If it isn’t, we can have a late lunch and then catch him at home.”

Selina looked at the river and assessed the patio of the restaurant, “Look at that view, Bruce. That’s definitely where he will be going.” She smiled up at him, “Are we going to give him his romantic happy ending?”

When Bruce looked down at her she felt her chest tighten at the look in his eyes. “Not an ending. Alfred gets to see me finally beginning. He gets to see me sitting across from you and he will know I have everything he has ever wanted for me.”

Selina felt her face flush and her eyes dropped. His lips caught her before she had opportunity to retreat from him. He kissed her, held her against him until he was sure when they parted she would be looking at him. He wanted her to understand, to accept, what he already knew. That she was his future, that this was _their_ beginning.

Xxxxxxx

Alfred walked along the street market. The sights and smells of Florence never ceased to relax him, but he found no happiness in the city anymore. The first time when Bruce had disappeared, Alfred knew that it was his own youth and petulance that had driven him abroad. He hadn’t believed for a moment that Bruce was dead. Alfred had known that somewhere the young man he had raised was alive under the same sky as he. That had brought a comfort to him that he no longer felt.

There were times in the early morning and late evenings when he felt the loss of Bruce the most. Nearly every day of his life for the past thirty-seven years he had awoke to care for the needs of Master Wayne. He had ensured that his own head touched a pillow only after every of these needs were met. These were habits that were proving painfully hard to break.

More days than he cared to recount started with him awaking, checking his pocket watch on the night stand to ensure that he had arisen promptly enough to prepare Master Wayne’s breakfast and that awful green antioxidant drink the young man insisted upon. Then reality crashed down upon him and he realized Bruce was gone.

Changing venues had helped. Not seeing Bruce’s memory in every corner like he had in Gotham had helped. He hadn’t spoken to Lucius since arriving, but he intended to send a communication thanking him for if he had remained in Gotham Arkham Asylum would eventually had him as a resident. Here at least, the city was enough to draw him out of bed. Most days it was enough. Some days, he was ashamed to say, the depression and heartache overwhelmed and he just lay under the sheets and listened to the silence of his life.

The eight years of Bruce’s exile seemed a punishment that he hadn’t deserved. Watching the beautiful boy he raised wasting away over a woman who, in the end, hadn’t even accepted his love. It was heartbreaking, but he would give anything to have that time back now, to have the opportunity to do things differently.

He came back to that. What would he have done differently? Continue to lie about Rachel? She had wanted Bruce to know the truth; it had been Alfred’s decision not to allow it. Alfred had no doubt that it was well past time for that truth to be told. So what really would he have changed beside the outcome? Unfortunately the outcome was everything, the outcome was unalterable.

Alfred could accept death, death was a constant companion for a man like him. Alfred wasn’t just the English butler people believed him to be. He had been a soldier. He had served in the SAS special forces. He was a man that had taken lives and seen lives taken. Death in battle was something he had prepared himself for from the day Bruce had told him about his idea to become Gotham’s protector.

He had done all in his power to minimize the risk. He worked to ensure young Bruce’s safety, but he always knew that the day might come when he did not return to the cave. Alfred prepared himself for that day. He was set to remind himself that Bruce had died with honor in service to his city, in service to the memory of his parents. He would be able to lay the young man to rest and know that he could move on carrying his memory in his heart with those of his parents of his friends and family that had fallen before him.

Alfred was unable to do this now, unable to because he had failed Bruce. At the end he failed to stand beside him in his fight for Gotham. He betrayed the young man and left him alone to face his fate and eventual death. Alfred felt such shame and regret at his actions that he was unable to move past it, he continued to drown in the memories.

Alfred situated a small painting that he had picked up from a gallery into the trunk of the Rolls. He checked his watch again, there was still plenty of time to shop for groceries and have a drink at the cafe. He could definitely use a drink.

.Xxx

Alfred settled into the familiar seat and the waiter brought his drink without prompting, a Fernet Branca. Truly an acquired taste, it was a dark, oily alcoholic drink similar to amaro only less sweet. Alfred had one a day. He, like most that drank it, believed the medicinal qualities aided digestion and the alcohol settled his nerves. He sipped a bit of the bitter liquid and looked out over the beautiful city of Florence.

There was truly no greater spot in Florence to view the bridges. He smiled as he thought of his own not-so-humble abode and acknowledged to himself that the view was actually better from his balcony. The silence was too much there sometimes so Alfred came here and surrounded himself with the activity of locals and tourists. He tried to squash the familiar urge to search the faces, to keep that small flame of hope burning in his heart. He couldn’t keep doing this to himself. He knew it was tearing him apart, but he couldn’t keep his eyes from rising... from taking their habitual journey around the café.

The familiar green eyes caught his, and his heart skipped in his chest. A thousand thoughts and emotions flooded through him in the instant he realized that it was Bruce. Bruce Wayne, alive and staring at him calmly across the café. Immediately his presence released Alfred from the emotional purgatory of his death and gave him hope that Bruce could forgive himself for his betrayal. That would be enough. Knowing he was alive and now the hope that Bruce might someday forgive him...that was more than enough.

Relief and joy were overwhelming him as Alfred forced himself to show the steadfast control that he promised he would have should this moment ever present itself. He nodded at Bruce and received the same acknowledgment from him. Alfred collected his things and stood, noticing the woman at the table as she turned in profile. Alfred held back a smile. _The thief pinched the pearls after all, bloody marvelous._

Selina watched Bruce’s eyes as Alfred walked away, waiting for his reaction. _You have to give it to him, Wayne has a hell of a poker face._ Bruce sat quietly for a long moment after. Finally he inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes. When they opened she could see the tears threatening and he looked at her apologetically. She lifted her chin sharply indicating he should go.

“I will meet you later at Alfred’s.” He grasped her hand and squeezed, “Thank you for this, Selina.”

She smiled, “I hope he spanks hard.”

Bruce laughed as he stood, tossing his napkin on the table. “He does, and believe me, I speak from experience. Hopefully it won’t come down to that though.” He stepped around the table to her and leaned down bracing against the arm rests of her chair as he pressed a kiss against her lips. He lingered for a moment, letting her know that she was being kissed and that it mattered. He broke away grudgingly and gave her a wink before hurrying out after Alfred.

Selina sat back and took a sip of wine, as her eyes drifted over the landscape of Florence. Among the milling crowd along the river walk she saw him still and quiet among the crowd. Alfred was standing casually with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan jacket. He had donned a matching flat cap and seemed the model of calm collection as he watched her. He was too far away to see his face clearly, but Selina knew that he had seen Bruce leaving the café and must realize that he was coming down to him. Alfred was making no move to avoid it so it was apparent to Selina that he wanted contact.

She raised her hand to him and he returned the gesture before slipping the hand casually back into his pocket. Selina grinned in appreciation. _Alfred was one cool customer. Now I see where you get it from, Wayne._

She saw a flash of Bruce’s shirt in the crowd as he moved quickly through the people. Alfred continued to stand quietly waiting. Selina felt like a voyeur watching them, but she couldn’t help herself. Bruce needed so badly to amend things with Alfred that she felt compelled to make sure it went well.

Bruce broke through the crowd and they stood several feet apart for a long moment. Selina held an involuntary breath of air until they moved in and embraced one another. She smiled into her glass as they clapped each other on the back and Alfred hooked his hand around Bruce’s neck and pulled him to his chest for a long moment. When they separated, both men were wiping their eyes and looking away from one another as they tried to regain their composure.

Selina blinked her own tears away as she looked out over the river. It was beautiful here; she could understand why Alfred chose this to be his retreat. Florence had an old charm that was worlds and centuries removed from the wealth and bustle of Monaco. The bridges over the water were amazing and she felt her fingers twitch with the desire to sketch them. She glanced down at the men and found them both standing beside Alfred’s car looking up at her. Bruce waved to her and she shooed him in response. Alfred must have asked if she was coming because Bruce was shaking his head at the older man before opening the driver’s door. Alfred hesitated a moment before entering the car, pausing to look up at Selina and tip his cap..

She raised her glass in a small salute and smiled.

Xxx

She finished her glass of wine and ordered a Caprese salad. When it arrived she fell even more in love with Italy. The food was amazing. She let the flavors play on her tongue as she savored the taste. Fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and garden grown basil drizzled with sweet balsamic and olive oil. Life was good sometimes she admitted to herself. Only a few days before, she was drowning under the ice in a Gotham canal and today she was sipping the finest wine in Florence, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio.

She sat back from the table, immensely satisfied with her Italian experience. Declining dessert, Selina reached for her purse to pay the bill and remembered she had left it in the car. She glanced down at the table, moving Bruce’s napkin and lifting her sketch pad, wincing when she didn’t find the key fob.

_Bruce must have forgotten to leave it…dammit. Bruce, you would order the most expensive damn bottle of wine then stick me with the tab…_

Well, this definitely wouldn’t be the first check she had to skip. _Fantastic_

Xxxxxxxx

Bruce pulled into the drive and the gates opened automatically for the vehicle. He glanced over at Alfred acknowledging the security system, “Fox take good care of you?”

Alfred nodded, “You know that he did.”

Bruce’s lips twitched as he cut the engine. “Well you deserve it Alfred. What you did for Wayne Enterprises...it was selfless of you. Typical of you really.” He took a breath and determined he would say what he came to say. “Alfred…I’m sorry.” He faced through the windshield not looking at the older gentleman. “I was hurt and angry—”

Alfred interrupted him, “Master Wayne, I never should have left you, you needed me and I...”

Bruce clasped a hand on Alfred’s arm, squeezing gently. “You have always been there for me Alfred, even when I didn’t deserve you to be. You gave me what I needed, a wakeup call. I hope you forgive me, Alfred. I need you in my life.”

Alfred wiped at his tearing eyes, “Say no more, Master Wayne. None of this needs to be said. We know who we are to each other.”

Bruce looked over at him and swallowed hard, “I love you Alfred.”

The old man laid his hand on Bruce’s, “And I you, Master Wayne, since the day you were born and every day since.” He squeezed Bruce’s hand again, “That being said, if you bugger things up like this again, I will make you wish you really _were_ six under.”

Bruce smiled and nodded, “Understood, Sir.” This was how Bruce had answered Alfred in his younger days when he got called on the carpet for some wickedness that he tried to pull.

The sentimental response was not lost on the old man. “No, no, Master Wayne that _Sir_ business earned you no favor then and it certainly does not today.” He exited the vehicle and slammed the door waiting for Bruce to follow before continuing with his finger jabbing into Bruce’s shoulder. “You have lots to explain still before you are off the hook with me. For example, why were you having lunch with a jewel thief?” He leaned in and added “And why was said thief wearing your mother’s pearls?” He lifted his chin and looked down his nose, “And what about that kiss? A little more than friends I’m gathering.”

Bruce looked up at Alfred with a small smile and Alfred stopped in mid stride grasping Bruce and turning him to face him. “Now what is this I see?”

Bruce shrugged at him, helpless to keep the smile from growing across his face. “What’s what?”

Alfred shook his shoulders. “Now, out with it. Who are you really and what have you done with Master Wayne?”

Bruce shook off his hands and laughed and continued up the steps to Alfred’s villa.

Alfred looked after him, the wonder at what he was seeing in the younger man increasing by the moment. “Seriously Master Wayne, after all the money spent on your dental work, it is good to actually catch a look at the final product.”

Xxxxxxx

Selina rolled her eyes as she handed over her falsified passport for collateral on the check she couldn’t pay. _Damn Bruce Wayne and his four hundred dollar wine. I shoulda skipped the tab. This is just embarrassing. While we are damning things, damn Alfred and his favorite damn café and damn social propriety._

Walking the straight and narrow was confining Selina decided. She considered her options, walk the six miles to Alfred’s in four inch high heels or wait until Wayne realizes she is stranded and comes to save her. Neither option seemed particularly appealing. There was no way in hell she was calling his satellite phone from an unsecured land line, not unless the emergency was considerably graver than this.

Walking wasn’t that big of an inconvenience, but if she was going to do any walking she preferred it to be a stroll around Florence taking in the sites. She smiled up against the sun, and glanced at the tourists milling around. She decided a return to her roots might just be in order. Tourists were easy money for a person with her particular skill set. She cracked her knuckles and limbered her wrists; it was time to go to work. _Bruce can just come find me, this is his fault anyways._

Xxxxxx

Bruce took the coffee from Alfred, having to again decline the offer of tea first.

“Alfred when are you going to accept that I don’t drink tea?” Bruce asked him with obvious amusement as he sipped the hot beverage. _Alfred makes freaking fantastic coffee._

Alfred poured his own cup of blended black tea with lemon. He worked his way fluidly around the spacious kitchen as Bruce smiled behind his cup as he watched him fuss around the kitchen. “Well, I figured with all of the changes I am seeing in you that you might have changed that as well.”

Bruce snorted at the notion. “Fox did well with this old place,” His eyes traveled around the spacious room. It was eloquent and classy, but it felt like a home already.

“Indeed,” Alfred agreed. “A mite bigger than I would ever need, but I suppose he thought I had grown accustomed to the manor.” Alfred gazed around the expanse of the room, the rustic heavy beams along the ceiling to the stone walls and cooking oven. “The kitchen is top notch. Of course I had to roust the supplies around in the drawers to make any sense of things, change up the placement of plates and glasses and such, but other than that first rate job all around.”

Bruce glanced down at the earth tones swirling through the tiles, a new remodel that was made to look old. The hand carved moldings around the doors and expansive arches. Classic and beautiful, Fox had truly out done himself. Bruce nodded over at the painting Alfred had picked up. “Starting an art collection?”

Alfred smiled, “It’s better than any you have at the moment.”

Bruce laughed off the loss of his extensive art collection. He would be recovering that soon enough, there were only a few pieces that mattered to him anyways—the ones that had mattered to his mother. Bruce thought of Selina’s pictures, and met his old butler’s eyes, “I don’t know…you might be surprised. I am growing quite a collection of art myself.”

Alfred raised his eyebrows, “Is that so?” He flipped a light on behind him and Bruce turned into the formal entry.

The water colors were there…all of them. The room looked like it had been made to hold them, the lighting on each perfect. A gallery could have done no better in hanging them. Even the walls were painted as to allow the works to dominate the space. The only fixture in the room was the piano that had for so long held the secret to the entrance of the Batcave. Atop it, the photos of his parents and Rachel. There was an old black and white of Alfred giving him a piano lesson, he remembered his father had taken it. Bruce shook his head and rubbed at his brow. He was overwhelmed with it.

Alfred watched him with protective eyes. “I couldn’t let the important things go.”

Bruce couldn’t stop the tears. He pressed his fingers against his eyes and took a breath trying to regain his control. He felt Alfred’s hand on his shoulder and he dropped his hand from his eyes and looked over at the old gentleman that had raised him. “You will never be without them. They are with you always, Bruce. They made you the man you are.”

“You had a hand in that too, Alfred. I wouldn’t be anything without the guidance and love you showed me.” He shook his head and blew out a breath. “I took what we had for granted and it won’t ever happen again, I swear it.”

Alfred reassured him with his soft words and strong hand on his neck. “Bruce, you are my son as sure as if you had been born to me. We will not always agree, but I will always be here for you and I will always love you.”

Xxxxxxxxx

Bruce glanced down at his watch as he parked the Rolls. Shooting Alfred an anxious look he cursed under his breath. She was going to be so pissed. 

He and Alfred had been enjoying the sunset over Florence from the balcony overlooking the river, sipping on refills of their respective beverages, when Alfred asked him about his comment from earlier. Alfred settled his cup in its saucer, “What did you mean about having an art collection?”

Bruce smiled at the thought of Selina, and started to tell Alfred of her artistic abilities when he realized how late it was getting. His smile turned quickly to a concerned frown as he glanced down to his watch. _Where was she?_ He reached into his pants pocket for his cell phone and his fingers collided with the key fob. “Shit.” He rolled his eyes and looked at Alfred. “Can you give me a ride back to town?”

Xxxxx

He called her cell phone a dozen times on the way there. Directing Alfred over to the car he dialed it again. Alfred smiled at the group of people gathered around the ostentatious vehicle. Bruce climbed out of the car as Alfred nettled him, “You are supposed to be dead and bankrupt Master Wayne, I don’t think you are doing either of them correctly.”

Bruce approached the car and heard the phone ringing before the proximity device popped the locks. He opened the door and followed the sound to her purse on the floorboard. He sighed heavily and ended the call. _Shit._ He unzipped the bag and verified his suspicion. Her wallet and money were in there along with her phone.

They walked up to the café to see if she was still waiting. Alfred laughed at the obvious unsettlement this was causing in the normally unflappable Bruce Wayne. “I must say sir,” he elected this title rather than the customary Master Wayne, as they were in public. Alfred just couldn’t bring himself to address Bruce as ‘Mr. Speedman’ regardless of the stress and anguish he had caused him. “You seem quite out of sorts over this. Need I remind you this is the woman that has survived on the streets nearly her entire life. I don’t think a few hours in Florence and a lunch tab will slow her much.”

Bruce glared over at him.

Alfred just smiled as one of his usual waiters walked up.

“Can I help you sir?”

Alfred smiled expanded exponentially as Bruce seemed surprised the man had completely ignored him in favor of addressing Alfred. Alfred patted his arm in mock sympathy, “Ah, this is my city sir. Allow me.” Alfred clapped the young waiter on the back amiably. “Yes, perhaps you may. This intense gentleman here has misplaced an important item.” Alfred raised his hand to demonstrate height, “American lass, about five foot eight—”

“Six foot,” Bruce corrected. Alfred glanced up having read her stats on the wrap sheet at five-eight.

“Heels,” Bruce stated flatly. Alfred grinned as it was obvious Bruce was completely taken with the young lady. “Six foot today then. Very good indeed.” He continued on, “Brown hair...” He looked back at Bruce smiling, “Or would you say it’s more a chestnut? Is that precise, is it?” He peered in at Bruce smiling gleefully, baiting him to respond. “Oh yes, eyes. Also brown, is that a chocolate or golden brown there sir, would you say?” He laughed at Bruce’s icy reception to his humor.

Bruce shot him a withering glare, wishing he had just activated the GPS on the pearls.

The waiter cackled along with the old gentleman. He was a regular and a fine tipper. Besides, it was good seeing him happy. He always looked like he had just lost his best friend when he came in, so the young man allowed him to continue to tease his son before he relented and told them where she was. He pointed down to the river and told them she was two bridges down.

“I left without settling the ticket.” Bruce drew out his wallet and moved to pay. The young man raised his hands. “She is good…Tip too,” he politely refused the money. “Very generous. She is good with me.”

 _Where had she gotten the money for that?_   Bruce frowned; her only cash was in her purse locked in the car. _Old habits die-hard._ He was more than mildly annoyed at the realization of what she had done. He would have rather her skip the check on the restaurant, at least then he could have settled with them. Now there was no telling what she had been up to.

The young man nudged a folded napkin into Alfred’s hand. Alfred held it up to the light and smiled. It was a perfect likeness of himself with the face of Bruce Wayne drawn beside his. Coins covered Bruce’s eyes in an obvious death metaphor. The two men laughed heartily at this and Bruce glared at them. Alfred slipped the napkin to him and coughed into his palm. “You sure you want to find her, sir?”

Bruce shook his head and looked at Alfred evenly, “Let’s go Alfred, there is no telling how many wallets and purses are already missing in Florence tonight.”

On their way out Alfred pressed a bill into the waiter’s palm. “Take it,” Alfred insisted. “This is the best sport I’ve had in ages. “

Xxxxxxxxx

Selina smiled as she watched the sun dip down beneath the lower level of the bridge, this was the third she had worked. The tourists were thicker here than at the others, she didn’t know if it was the dinner hour or if the shops were driving them here. Either way it made business for her better. She flexed her hands and gave the joints at the end of her fingers a small twist. A satisfying pop accompanied each and she felt the flexibility increase as she rotated her wrists. She had already paid the tab at the restaurant with two hours work. That wasn’t too bad of a hustle, but she was getting chilled and she was in the market for a sweater. There was a shop behind her that had some cute ones fairly cheap, so she decided to try her luck on the tourists here.

Bruce and Alfred walked along the path by the river searching vainly through the clog of pedestrians as they passed by the local venders. Alfred nudged his shoulder and pointed down to the benches by the overlook. Several artists had galleries set up and were selling paintings and watercolors of the bridges and Florence skyline.

They watched as Selina rolled a paper into itself and handed it to an elderly couple. The man gave Selina a folded stack of euros in exchange. She stood and stretched her back and neck as she flexed her hand. She said something to the young man next to her. She glanced at her watch as she walked up into the market, he called out something to her and she waved in response. He arranged a picture and anchored it to the easel before returning to his own work.

Alfred glanced over at his young charge, “You may have been quick in judging this Catwoman of yours. She looks to be more of an entrepreneur than a thief.” Alfred nudged his shoulder and chuckled, “Maybe the leopard changed her spots after all?”

Bruce shook his head both at himself for thinking the worst of her as well as in response to Alfred’s word play. “You might want to keep the cat jokes to a minimum, Alfred. She can be a little... sensitive.”

Xxxxx

Selina returned to the benches wrapped in a soft heather grey sweater and carrying two cups, a coffee for the young man beside her and a warm green tea for herself. He stood and accepted the beverage with a smile. “You are a savior love.” His heavy English accent was welcome in Selina’s ear as the steady assault of Italian was growing old. “And may I say that you do look smashing in that sweater. Money well spent I believe.” He beamed at her appreciatively, “Now you look completely fab and I won’t have to hear your teeth chattering all evening.”

“Siggy baby, I am done. My hands are killing me.” Selina sat lightly on the bench beside him rolling the cup between her palms. The warm liquid thawed her fingers and soothed the dull ache from bearing down with the pencil. The pain in her hands was a reminder of how long it had been since she worked this hustle.

The young man she had settled beside said he was out here morning to night every day painting just to try and sustain his stay in Florence. He and Selina had hit it off right away, recognizing a bit of themselves in each other. He had cleared a space for her to display her sketches on one of his easels and had chatted away about the history of Florence as they worked. She regretted not coming down this way earlier, the evening would have been far more entertaining with his company.

“Ah well, than all is good. I do believe I have a fish on the line for your last one.” He grinned. “Lovely chap from the Queen’s country. He was quite taken with it I believe.” He smiled conspiratorially, “Looks to have some folding fodder to boot.”

Selina grinned, “I was thinking I might keep this one. I know I damn sure don’t want to draw another one for myself.” She looked at her hand and frowned at the blister forming on her finger.

Sig smiled, his shaggy mat of black hair falling across his brow, “Suck it up love,” he nudged her arm, “Art is pain.”

A voice sounded behind her, the heavy cottony accent was unmistakable, “You sure you won’t reconsider the sale of the drawing. I have just the place in my new villa to display it.”

Alfred’s voice was distinctive and very memorable. Even though she had only spoken to him that once, she knew without a doubt it was him. She swallowed a sip of tea her lip curling slightly as she forced herself not to look back. “I might be persuaded to sell if the price was right.”

“Very well. Where does the negotiation start, Miss?”

Selina slid off the bench and turned around. Alfred Pennyworth stood waiting, much as he had outside the café, hands in pockets casual like he had all the time in the world. Selina tilted her head back to meet the direct gaze from his steel blue eyes. “There is a story involving a young man wearing a geometric dress and blue eyeliner….I want to hear it.”

Alfred nodded and a smile broke across his face. “Ahh, that is blackmail level information there, Miss. Your work commands a high price indeed, but I believe I can accommodate that. I will even throw in transportation and a cup of real English tea to boot.” He glanced down to the cup she held with obvious disapproval.

“All highly acceptable terms.” Selina reached out her hand and Alfred took it in his. Rather than shaking it he held it in his for a moment before turning his wrist and changing the grip so that he held it gently by the folds of her fingers. Selina thought for a moment he was going to kiss the back of her hand.

Instead Alfred bowed slightly keeping his eyes on hers. “A pleasure to see you again, Miss.” He paused, “I would be remiss if I didn’t say that if you had only listened to my directions and just left the tray on the table and nothing more...all this nonsense could have been avoided altogether.”

Selina blushed and managed a small smiled, “Maybe I will listen next time.”

Alfred smiled and shook his head. “I rather doubt that.”

v

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

Selina frowned at the young man beside her and shrugged, “Siggy, I guess I have to draw the damn bridge again after all.”

He laughed at her pitiful face and hugged her warmly with his free hand, kissing her cheek. “Find me again, love, and we will paint the town fantastic. Literally.” He nodded toward the canvas he was working on hoping to entice her into meeting him again.

She ruffled his hair and kissed him on his cheek. “Consider it a date.” She gathered up her sketch book and looked back over her shoulder as Alfred led her away. “I’m coming back to buy that rainstorm of yours, so don’t sell it!”

“I told you, take the damn thing!” He dropped his hand to his hip in mock anger.

Selina waved him off, “Never give it away when someone offers to pay for it.”

“Spoken like a true painting prostitute.” He laughed and then abruptly called out again, “Wait!” He bent down and rummaged through his bag. He jogged up and handed her a new sketch book. “I know you worked through yours today. Take this, you might get stranded and need to pimp your pictures again.” They hugged again and he kissed her lightly on the lips. “What an absolute dream,” he said to himself and shook his head at her retreating form. Turning back to his booth he noticed a man looking at the work on his easel and drifted back to engage him. “See something you like?”

Bruce lifted his chin, “Yeah I did, but it looks like she is calling it a night.”

The young artist laughed and shook his head, “Better try chatting up another skirt chum. She is locked up. Tight.” He gathered up his brush and wiped it on a damp rag before tossing it into a cup of thinner.

“Is that so?” Bruce asked as he turned to face the young man.

Sigmund Geller was a lot of things, but unobservant wasn’t one of them. He had poured over Leslie’s drawings and this was definitely the chap in her pictures. His mind flashed to a particularly steamy one that she had drawn of him sleeping. Head turned to the side, well muscled arm thrown over his head, bed sheets not covering much at all. _Damn...Rex Speedman did live up to the hype_. Sigmund decided he would have given about anything to have a muse like him to work with...not that much painting would ever get done.

“You ought to know sexy Rexy. It is you after all.” He smirked and wiped his hands on the towel before picking up his coffee again.

Bruce reserved his response.

“She is positively pissed at you right now, you know that right?” Sigmund’s eyes danced as he watched Leslie’s man. The first few moments with the straights were always the most telling. Would he be the typical macho man homophobe that would be disgusted and repulsed by Sigmund’s very existence? Sigmund was hoping for tolerant indifference at best. _American’s were normally so pent up._

“How pissed are we talking?” Bruce asked, amusement and maybe even a little relief sounded in his voice.

 _Relief that I’m gay...haha that’s a new one._ Sigmund smiled into his cup, “Pissed enough that you will be bringing home one of my paintings to make it up to her.”

Bruce nodded in agreement to the penalty. “Wrap up the one she wants then.”

The dark-haired artist smiled broadly. “You’re not even going to ask the price?”

Bruce stared at him evenly. “Do you think it would matter?”

He smiled, realizing the man before him wasn’t hesitant in the least in providing Leslie what she wanted. “I guess it doesn’t.” He hesitated a moment assessing the intense man that had captured his new friend’s interest so completely. He finally smiled, “You are lucky I am an honest man or I would have soaked you for all you are worth.”

“You are lucky I am an understanding man or I’d be punching a hole through you for kissing my girl,” Bruce stated this not as a threat but more as a casual fact.

Sigmund grinned, “Not much for sharing are you, then?” He nodded approvingly. “Not that I begrudge you that though sport. She is a looker, smart as a whip, funny...talented.” He grinned as Bruce’s eyes narrowed at the obvious affection he had for Selina.

“Sounds like you have a little crush on her yourself,” Bruce stated the obvious.

“A man would have to have rocks in his head not to. Lucky thing for you chum, that I am into strong thighs and hairy chests.”

Bruce raised his eyebrows at that.

“Not that you would have had to worry anyways. She seems quite taken with you for some reason.” He pulled out a painting from behind the easel that Selina had used. “You do need to do some damage control though. She was stranded for hours after all and she has a bit of a temper.” Sigmund took delight in restating everything he was sure her man was already painfully aware of. “But this will get you out of the dog house and back between the sheets where you belong.” He winked at Bruce as he sat the painting on the vacant wood holder and waited for Bruce’s reaction.

Bruce took a moment to appreciate the work. He didn’t offer any platitudes or comments, he simply studied the piece; processing the colors and mood, asking himself what it told him about the artist. He finally spoke after several minutes of silence, “It has a sad finality to it.”

Sigmund crossed his arms over his chest and considered the man’s unexpectedly thoughtful assessment of the piece, “I painted it the day I dropped out of school and my suffering artist period began in earnest.” He ran a hand across the top of the picture. “That woman of yours looked at my portfolio and told me my stuff was shit until I painted this one.”

Bruce looked over at him with something akin to pity. Selina could be ruthless at times, if she thought you needed a kick she would deliver one, usually right to your head.

“She was right though, my stuff was shit.” He smiled at the picture. “This was the first thing I painted that I was proud of. I bring it with me every day, but I couldn’t ever sell it.” He looked at Bruce sheepishly, “I didn’t want to cheapen it.” He tucked his hands into back pockets. “Leslie got that. She seemed to understand everything I am going through.” He laughed, “How can someone get that from only meeting me for a couple hours? “

Bruce looked at him thoughtfully, “Maybe she has been there herself.”

Sigmund nodded as his hand fingered the corner of the easel, “I want her to have it.”

He stopped Bruce from reaching for his wallet. “I told you, I can’t take money for it.” He looked at Bruce for a long moment and then said goodbye to his painting. He nearly teared as he remembered how he had sat under the fabric canopy of the cafe and painted the storm. His life unraveling around him as his future disintegrated and there was nothing left for him, but to paint his pain. “You seem like an alright chap, I can’t take your money, but strings are attached. You have to let her out to play once in a while. I’ve got a beautiful city I want to paint with her.”

Bruce gave him a once over again. Sigmund fidgeted under the man’s heavy stare, finally offering up his obvious defense. “I’m a gay English bloke.” He shrugged, “How much competition do you really have in me?” He smiled, “She’s the one that should be jealous,” Sigmund gave Bruce an appraising look, “You are just my type.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bruce drove up and got held at the gate. He depressed the call button as the red sports car idled powerfully. Alfred had left with Selina while he negotiated terms with her new acquaintance so they should have arrived long ago. Bruce shook his head. _She was killing him. Gone for five hours and she had already picked up a new admirer._ In truth Bruce had liked the kid, once he got past his initial impulse to crush his larynx. Bruce was able to see what Selina had liked about him. Sigmund was intelligent and engaging with a raw talent that was being squandered as he struggled to survive in the city. _Catwoman apparently had an affinity for picking up strays_. He chuckled and then laughed heartily at the analogy.

He glanced at the security panel and sent a brief text to Fox. Several seconds later the security system beeped a response and the gate slid obediently open. Bruce parked in front of the empty house and killed the motor. He laid the seat back and shut his eyes as he listened to the radio playing softly. The sound of the gate roused him, Bruce’s eyes flicked to the mirror as the Rolls pulled up beside him Selina gave him an icy look as the car pulled by. Bruce, who had by now become somewhat of an expert in reading her moods recognized it for what it was, a tease.

With Selina and Alfred both toying with him, this had the potential to be a long evening had at his expense. He was amused at himself to find he was looking forward to it immensely. The two most important people in his life gathered around him; hell yes he was looking forward to it.

Alfred walked the circle around the Rolls effectively cutting Bruce off from opening the door for Selina. He laid a hand on her door “You can get the bags in back Master Wayne, best you leave the lady in my care lest you forget and leave her sitting in the car all night.”

Selina grinned as Alfred opened the door for her. If he wanted to torture Wayne, who was she to stop him. It wasn’t the turn over his knee Bruce deserved, but Alfred was definitely wrapping his knuckles some. _A girl has to take what she can get._ Bruce watched as Alfred helped her out of her seat. Bruce met her cool gaze, a faint hint of a smile on her lips. He felt the familiar twist in his chest as he looked at her.

Alfred cackled at the young couple, “I will be in the house. Come in when you have made up properly.”

“Nice of you to finally send Alfred to retrieve me.” She smirked at him.

Bruce turned and sat down on the edge of the bumper. “I had more pressing business,” he stated it as such she would understand he was kidding.

She raised an eyebrow in disapproval. “I’m not sure I like believing you found something more important than me.”

Bruce twisted a strand of her hair around his finger. “I know the feeling, Selina.”

Selina tilted her head as she considered his words a sudden rush of panic accompanied her understanding. He had been there, seen her with Sigmund. She thought about how it could have looked to Bruce. She had kissed Sigmund without even thinking...from afar Bruce could have misinterpreted. She slipped her hand under his chin and searched his eyes. “Bruce, that was totally not what—”

He kissed her and stopped her needless explanation. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her down to his lap allowing his touch to melt away the insecurity he had seen in her eyes. He hadn’t liked the spark of fear he had seen there. He never wanted her afraid of him.

When they separated she was breathless and panting lightly. “Bruce...I want you to understand what you saw.”

“I understand perfectly Selina.” He kissed her gently and let his teeth graze her lower lip. “But I still didn’t like it. You are mine.” He looked her in the eyes, “Allowing anyone to think any differently is opening them up for a world of hurt.” He stood and tugged her hand gently, encouraging her to follow him to the red sports car.

Selina swallowed thickly as the words passed through her ears. “Sigmund is—”

“A very talented artist,” Bruce interrupted her. He popped open the passenger door and her eyes fell on the painting. “He is also the third gay man that has come onto me since I’ve been in Europe.” Bruce acknowledged that she had understood the two men at the flower market when he had assumed her ignorance of French. “I am thinking I might need to change my image.”

Selina's eyes danced and she slid her arm around his waist and placed a kiss on his jaw. “You will change nothing, Bruce.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alfred waved off any assistance with dinner and went to work preparing eggplant parmesan and roasted vegetables. Evidently he and Selina had discussed the menu while shopping together at the market and everyone was eating vegetarian tonight. Bruce stood behind her and slid an arm around her waist as she sat at the island bar watching Alfred work. Bruce watched her flex her hand and rub at the cramping muscles in her palm. He pressed his lips against her ear, “I’m so sorry, Selina.”

“You better be,” she answered and she sipped from her red wine.

Alfred glanced up, noting Bruce’s arm around her. Gesturing with the knife he was using to slice the eggplant, “None of that. I’ll not be chaperoning you love birds while trying to cook.”

Bruce grinned in reaction to the elder man’s order. “I thought you would be happy for me Alfred.”

Alfred continued to chop, “I’m ecstatic. Over the moon in fact, but there will be no canoodling in the kitchen.”

Selina snorted a laugh, nearly choking on her wine. Bruce patted her back as she coughed. He bent down to her and whispered, “Alfred and I have very different rules when it comes to the kitchen area.” She remembered immediately their romp that left her laid across the counter in the kitchen of the pent house.

Selina pressed her lips together and ducked her head as her cheeks flushed. She fiddled with the stem of her glass as Alfred looked expectantly between them. “Did you have something you want to share with everyone, Master Wayne?”

Bruce straightened and shook his head to the negative while smiling down at the young woman.

Alfred returned to his work. _Damn if it wasn’t the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed_. Bruce Wayne smiling, laughing, even flirting and none of it was an act.

After all these years that Alfred had stood beside him he had never realized how much had been missing from Bruce. He was a different person when she was in the room with him. He was more...there. The lost look that had been a part of him was gone and there was life in him now and love in his eyes.

Alfred retreated to the stove as he simmered the tomatoes and fresh herbs. He watched Selina as she looked over her shoulder at Bruce. He was instantly attentive to her and seemed to have a complete inability to keep his eyes and hands off her. Selina swatted those roving hands away and shoved him towards a neighboring bar stool. She glanced guilty over at Alfred, who nodded his approval as he put a tray of vegetables in the stove.

Alfred had always been one that believed in the direct approach and there were some answers he still wanted. “So how is it you managed to be alive and in my kitchen Master Wayne?”

Selina focused down on her finger worrying the painful blister as Bruce gave Alfred the abridged version of the events that had led them to Florence. She smirked a little as he left out the best parts...the sex and most of the violence. Strictly the PG version for Mr. Pennyworth. Alfred didn’t miss the look on Selina’s face. “That’s the story were going with then. You onboard with that are you, young miss?” Alfred appraised her reaction with open amusement.

Selina cleared her throat. “It’s a little watered down and vanilla but it’s...fundamentally accurate.” She smiled up at the old gentleman and he nodded curtly.

“As I expected.” He glossed over the forbidden topics in present company, but he fully intended on grilling Bruce over some of the specifics later. “Now, what’s this business about a bank robbery?” Alfred looked between them, “A bit of a departure from the original intent of the Batman, isn’t it sir.”

Selina smirked again, “You implying I’m a bad influence Sir Alfred?” She dabbed at the blister with a tissue as she smiled up at him.

Alfred tossed a cloth over his shoulder and set a platter of stuffed mushrooms in front of them. “Are you not?”

Selina smirked as she cast a furtive glance at Bruce who was ignoring her as he busied himself choosing a mushroom.

Alfred looked over at her and his eyes narrowed slightly. “Let’s have a look at that.” Alfred took Selina’s hand and brought it toward him as he pulled his eyeglasses from his shirt pocket. He pulled the small wad of tissue from the wound and assessed the raw bleeding skin, “Got a thorn in your paw now did you?”

Bruce snorted a laugh at the Catwoman’s expense as he tossed a mushroom into his mouth. _This is turning into an entertaining evening indeed._ Seeing that Alfred’s attention was off him Bruce winked at Selina. She returned a glare to him. “Alfred, the bank job can hardly be called a _robbery_...It is my money after all.” Bruce smiled as he watched Selina and Alfred together.

“I suppose waiting for the authorities to return it to you is out of the question?” Alfred asked with obvious disapproval in his voice. He slid open a drawer under the counter and produced a small first aid kit. “Stop squirming,” he order Selina.

“International banks don’t work that way Alfred. The US government has no jurisdiction, the money would get rolled into a sludge fund and directly back to the government of Monaco.”

“Lucky for you then that you just happen to have a feline friend with an applicable skill set.” Alfred looked up into Selina’s eyes and smiled.

Xxxxxxx

Selina took the guided tour with Alfred as he showed off the villa. The space was amazing, eight bedrooms and three huge living areas. Three levels with balconies on every side. They settled on the highest perch as it afforded the most awe inspiriting view of the city. Bruce leaned casually against the stone pillar that jutted above the rock patio.

Alfred had made another pot of coffee and tea for himself and Selina. Selina had tried to beg off of eating or drinking anything further telling Alfred that she was splitting at the sides as it was. He rolled his eyes and continued undeterred. Selina walked over to join Bruce fastening her sweater higher against her throat. “I need to call Fox and tell him to let my suit out a few inches.”

Bruce smiled caressing her cheek. “It’s good to see you finally eat something more than a bite of fruit.”

Selina sighed, “I still have to cut weight, but honestly, I couldn’t help myself tonight. That was fantastic. He is an amazing cook.” She glanced over Bruce’s body. “I don’t know how you are not three hundred pounds living with him.”

Bruce slid his free hand around her slender waist and kissed her gently. “Please tell me you are joking about losing weight, you are perfect.”

Selina shook her head and shrugged. “I have to be able to fit in the cooling ducts going into the computer server room and I am not having a repeat of that shit in the tunnels.” She shuddered involuntarily, her skin breaking out in cold chills as she remembered getting stuck. “So I don’t care if it means not touching another scrap of food until the job. I will be down at least another ten pounds.”

Bruce sat his coffee down on the wide ledge and braced Selina between his legs, leaning her gently into his chest. “I know that had to have been terrible.” He petted her hair and kissed her forehead. Selina let him console her because it damn sure had been terrible and she wasn’t going to have it happen again. He smoothed his hand along her back, “You sure there isn’t another way that you can make your entry that won’t involve you starving to death or asphyxiating in a ventilation shaft?”

“Now there is the after dinner conversation not many couples are having tonight in Florence.” Alfred’s exasperated voice sounded behind them. “You two are a match made in heaven. Two feathers from the same bird are you two.” He wagged a finger at Selina, “And you will most certainly eat. I will see to it, because there already isn’t anything to you.”

Selina smiled at the proper butler, blinking as he told her what she was going to do. Bruce laid his chin on her head and tried unsuccessfully not to laugh. Alfred glared at him and narrowly held himself from scolding him for allowing her to pull this job at all. “Something more to say Master Wayne?” Alfred look at him expectantly.

Bruce smiled at his old butler. “I have missed you Alfred.”

Xxxxxx

Selina had long since retreated to bed claiming her morning run as the reason for her departure, but Bruce could tell she was giving him some time with Alfred. He had since looped his trusted guardian in on all that had happened as they sat alone on the dark patio. They retired inside only after a few drops of rain began to fall. Alfred started a fire and poured them a brandy.

Alfred had finally gotten the nerve to ask about his time away from Gotham and Bruce was struggling over where to begin. “It was hell, Alfred. Sheer and complete living hell. Gotham was under siege and all I could do was lay on a bunk unable to move. That damn hole in the sky taunting me with the hope of escape.” He exhaled a breath and looked over at the elder man. He dropped a supportive hand on Alfred’s knee when he saw the emotion rising up in the old man. “I’m alright now,” Bruce reassured him. He hesitated a moment, “I’m better than alright, Alfred. I am making an appointment in Zürich after this is over. I’m done hiding.”

Alfred leaned forward and clasped his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “After all this time, Bruce.”

Bruce looked toward the bedroom and nodded.

Alfred shook his head. “I don’t know whether to be amazed or afraid at how much power that little sliver of a woman has over you.”

Bruce rubbed a calloused hand across his face. “Me either.” He laughed self-consciously, “But Alfred, I’m feeling pretty damn great about it right now, so I am going to ask you to be optimistic.”

Alfred smiled and squeezed Bruce’s shoulder. “Have you told her you are in love with her?”

Bruce winced in spite of himself, shaking his head. “I’m afraid to.” He acknowledged what he was feeling to Alfred and to himself for the first time. There was no need in pretending that he wasn’t in love with her, the absolute truth of his condition was evident to them both. “I don’t know if she is ready for that, Alfred. I can’t chance her cutting and running on me.” He rubbed his brow and took another drink of the warm liquid. “It would kill me to lose her now.”

Alfred chewed his lip thoughtfully, “Bruce you have to trust her if you ever hope to make this last.”

Bruce nodded, “I do trust her Alfred, but there is more to this.” He closed his eyes and dove in despite the dread of telling Alfred that he was going back to the Gotham...back to being the bat. He told Alfred about Blake, discussed his plans to help him into the role, ensure his training and preparation. He felt he had to do it to give the young man a fighting chance to survive the transition. To do that Bruce had to return to Gotham, but there was no way that Selina could.

“Alfred, it is the best compromise I can give you.” Bruce felt like he was begging a little and he resigned himself to the fact that Alfred’s buy in warranted it. “I am going to train him and back him up until he is ready. Then I fade off and do what you always wanted me to do, lead change in Gotham through the humanitarian philanthropic front.”

Alfred looked at Bruce’s tightly pressed lips and averted eyes, and realized it took more strength for him to not be Batman than it had every taken to put on the cowl. “Are you sure that you will be able to put it away again when the time comes Master Wayne?”

Bruce swirled the brandy in the cut crystal glass, smiling into the liquid. “With Selina there I believe I could, and I know she would understand if I ever had to break out of retirement and help Blake with the heavy lifting.” He lifted his eyes to Alfred, “I could do it because she would be right there in the thick of things with me.” He took a sip of the amber liquid. “I know that must seem like a conflict of interest to you...putting the woman I love in harm’s way.”

Alfred looked at him a long moment before settling back into his chair. “From what I see, you are just directing the energy. She would be beside you whether you chose to allow it or not.”

Bruce nodded in solemn agreement with Alfred’s assessment. “Fox warned me about trying to control her, trying to make her into something she wasn’t.” Bruce smiled at Alfred, “They have become very close.” He felt the need to clarify to Alfred why he was willing to defer to Fox on issues concerning Selina. “I don’t want to screw this up Alfred, but I feel like I’m walking a tightrope here.”

The simple fact was Selina was a wanted woman, one of the last remaining escapees from Blackgate that had not been brought to justice. She would never be able to return to Gotham despite all that she had done to save the city as long as the charges stood against her. The fact she was Catwoman couldn’t be leveraged because without her identity protected, she would become an immediate target for anyone trying to get to the Batman. Not to mention the fallout from their own relationship once it went public. Because Bruce damn sure wasn’t going to hide away in secret with her and giving her up wasn’t an option. The reality of this was that the moment that Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle appeared together, speculation was guaranteed to arise as to the connection between Catwoman and Bruce Wayne...and then Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Bruce shared all of these concerns with his long time caregiver and Alfred listened with his usual calm demeanor. “A very simple solution would be to stay abroad with your newly recovered money or utilize that Clean Slate and be off with the entire thing. But then, you were never much for simple solutions.” Alfred shook his head, “We are at least in agreement that she does not cross the pond until the charges are dropped against her correct?”

Bruce threw his hands up and nodded. “Of course Alfred, there is no way in hell I would chance her having to spend another night in police custody, I don’t care if it’s on the couch in Gordon’s office at the MCU with Jim as her personal bodyguard.” Alfred shook his head at this extreme example, but understood that Bruce was unwilling to take any chances with Selina.

His voice dropped into an angry growl, “Alfred, the fact they ever locked her up with those animals in Blackgate is deplorable. She hadn’t even been to trial yet, everything broke loose in Gotham so quickly...” The anger in his voice was palatable as he ran a hand through his hair. “She can’t go back now, especially not now, Alfred.” His eyes held more than a little anxiety as he continued, “She tangled with some of the worst scumbags in Gotham before we left. It was because of her that Gordon was able to slam them back in their cages.”

“That little scrap of a girl...” Alfred shook his head in wonder.

“She really is something, Alfred. The news reported that Jassop is still in the prison infirmary.” Dark admiration flashed across Bruce’s face, “She broke damn near every bone in the bastard’s face.” Bruce’s voice held a note of macabre pride at her accomplishment even as his hand tightened around the glass and the muscle in his cheek twitched. “Can you imagine if they housed her back in Blackgate...if those inmates realize she is Catwoman? It won’t matter how tough she is, if they lock her in with them...they will get to her eventually. I can’t allow—”

Alfred interrupted Bruce’s dark thoughts, he didn’t want the image painted in his mind anymore than it already had been. “It goes without saying that she is staying here.”Alfred stated this as a directive not a suggestion.

Bruce smiled at the old gentleman. “Thank you for that Alfred.” He needed Selina to be grounded into his life and there were no deeper roots than those found in Alfred. He looked at the old gentleman, Alfred needed people to care for and Selina needed to learn to accept that care. It brought Bruce a level of comfort to know that Selina and Alfred could be there for one another.

He drummed his fingers against the soft leather of the chair, his eyes drawn to the fireplace as he considered his options. Just talking through it with Alfred was helping him work through some of the emotional and moral issues he was having. Alfred agreeing that she should stay abroad was a relief. Getting her to do it might be even easier now with the artist friend she had made keeping her entertained. He felt a small pang of guilt at thinking of the man in such a utilitarian manner, but once again, all was fair in love and war.

Alfred watched the young man work on his dilemma. “You must have something more than just a list of problems, what is your plan?”

Bruce rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, as he remembered the young woman’s fingers running through his goatee the afternoon before they left for Monte Carlo. He was going to grow it out again for her. Selina had looked at him shyly while she sat on the counter watching him shave and told him she would miss the feel of it on her face when he kissed her. He had almost told her then he loved her, but instead he had just smiled and kissed her, intentionally rubbing shaving cream on her cheek as she struggled away from him.

“The Congressman will be the key to clearing her, he drops the charges and there is no trial. This entire thing goes away.”

Alfred looked at him in surprise. “The Congressman...the one she kidnapped, drugged, then shot?”

Bruce raised his brows. “Allegedly shot,” Bruce corrected Alfred with humor in his voice. “So you don’t foresee his cooperation?”

Alfred chuckled, “I rather doubt his cooperation will come without considerable pressure and persuasion.”

“I’m a persuasive man, Alfred.” Bruce smiled grimly.

Alfred shook his head and chuckled, “And with the proper motivation,” Alfred gestured toward the room holding Selina, “I am sure you will not hesitate to provide the appropriate pressure needed to see that you get what you want.”

“If necessary, that is exactly what I mean to do.” He sat back and waited for Alfred’s moral compass to redirect his trajectory and offer reasons designed to dissuade him from his course of action.

Alfred considered the situation before standing and pacing a small turn in front of the fireplace. He ended his journey at the steel drink cart by the double doors leading to the patio. Alfred poured himself another finger of brandy, reconsidering he poured two more into his glass, taking the bottle with him gesturing to Bruce to present his empty water glass. His steel blue eyes were steady when Bruce looked up at him. Bruce was surprised not to see the expected disapproval in the man’s eyes. “Relax your rules for one night Master Wayne and have another belt while you tell me more,” Alfred poured as Bruce talked.

xxxxxx

Fox reached over to the corner of his mahogany desk and plucked the satellite phone off the docking charger. His thumb flicked across the screen and accepted the unidentified call.

“Yes?”

“You burning the midnight oil at the shop?” Bruce bated his CEO.

“I have been putting in my fair share of hours.” Lucius rubbed his eyes and squinted at the numbers on the LCD clock display near his desk lamp, he had cut the overhead lights hours earlier in favor of its softer illumination. It was nearly seven already. He had worked through lunch and his stomach growled in protest to his late stay in the office. “Some of us have real jobs,” he teased Bruce lightly, “We all can’t be gallivanting abroad with beautiful women.”

“Woman, singular,” Bruce corrected him smiling in spite of himself. “And I’m not sure what gallivanting looks like, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what I’ve been doing.”

Fox chuckled. “How is she?”

They had both been careful despite the secure link to not address themselves by name nor reveal the location of either party. Paranoia ran deep when one dealt with the Batman so it was second nature to operate in this medium. Bruce pushed his thumb and index finger against his eyes hoping the pain would stay at bay awhile longer, “She is staying busy...tying me in knots mostly.”

Lucius laughed merrily. “As I recall she already had you in a sizable tangle before you left. Can’t imagine it is any worse now.”

Bruce growled a response, but refused to add any more fuel to the fire. “How are your projects coming?”

“They are tracking on schedule...” He hesitated a moment. “What is your timeline there?”

Bruce detected an undercurrent in the man’s voice. He didn’t miss much when it came to Fox. He could read his eyes, his body language and definitely this tone that he now heard in his voice. “Problems?” Bruce braced himself for bad news.

“Possibly two very sizable ones.” Fox took a breath, “Three if you count that I haven’t found the Wayne Center rat.” He adjusted several large stacks of paper on his desk. “The trade investigation is proceeding and they all but confirmed that they have established that the stock sells were illegal and fraudulent.” He sighed, “But, with the process involved in recovery we are looking at eighteen months before any of those funds are returned to Wayne Enterprises. They have no way of tracing the international off shore accounts so the money has to come from Federal trade securities insurance. As we know the wheels grind very slowly when Uncle Sam has to open his wallet.”

Bruce nodded his head and shrugged, “That’s why we are here, early recovery.”

“Well, we might need to step up our game and put that play in motion.” Lucius dreaded telling his employer that their long time lender had been unwilling to extend the deadline on their loans. Loyalty was everything with Bruce and Fox anticipated his disappointment. "The renewal contracts on Gotham L&C is coming due in nine days, we did not receive an extension,” He continued on not waiting for the response, “And, if that isn’t enough, Hammer Industries is going under.” He stated this with resigned finality, “Like we thought, Fujiwara is the front runner.” Fox sighed in frustration, “With the condition the shop is in now, I couldn’t even get an invitation to the table to hear the terms.”

Bruce’s lips pressed into a line. He could have gotten a personal line of credit and written a check for both of these just a few months ago. Neither venture was one they could afford to lose. Hammer Industries was on the ropes and facing hostile takeover from a Japanese based company. The largest single weapons manufacturer in the US would now be foreign based. Incredibly, the government had done nothing to impede the sellout. The thought of American soldiers supplied with weaponry from a foreign based company using international trade lines turned both Bruce and Fox inside out. Not to mention the American jobs and revenue lost in the already struggling economy. Fox had made him aware of the situation before he left Gotham, and they had both agreed to go after the company. Bruce had counted on being back in the black before the company bellied-up. “I will request she expedite the recovery process.” His voice was grim.

Fox understood Bruce’s worry for he shared it completely, “I will need her final specs on the override mechanism ASAP, the rest of her requests I have ready.”

Bruce continued to press his lips tightly together. “Understood,” Bruce hesitated, “If you didn’t go to the table...how did you get the info on the takeover?”

Fox smiled, “It helps to know the power players in the field.”

Bruce exhaled an exasperated breath. “Those players better not be ‘the Player’ I am thinking of. I told you I wanted nothing to do with h—”

Fox interrupted his boss, “Sometimes exceptions have to be made.” He laughed lightly at his own use of the phrase.

Bruce rolled his eyes, catching the reference to Selina. Fox had found that story of her kicking the cane hilarious when she had told him over dinner in the penthouse. “Why is everyone always on her side?”

Fox smiled, “Everyone?”

Bruce smiled, “Absolutely _everyone._ ” He confirmed to Fox that this group included Alfred.

Fox grinned, he had felt a huge burden lift from his shoulders when Bruce texted him for the security access at Alfred’s home in Florence. He had wanted to tell Alfred the truth the moment he discovered Bruce was alive and well. “Well that’s very good news indeed. So what you think of the place?” Fox’s assistant, a thirtyish African American woman, came into the room as he asked the question.

Bruce glanced around the house, “I think you missed your calling. You should have gone into interior decorating.”

Fox hadn’t realized Jessica was still working and he looked at her with disapproval. He placed a hand over the phone and mouthed ‘ _go home_.’ Jessica scowled back at her long time boss as she shook her head. She sat a small plate holding a sandwich and carrot sticks on the corner of his desk. She followed the sandwich with a bottle of water and an oatmeal cookie.

Lucius nodded in thanks, grateful for the consideration. She pointed at the phone and mouthed, _‘Alfred?’_

Fox shook his head yes, knowing that a lie was in order to cover the conversation. “Well I am glad you approve of it. I know I was very happy with how it turned out myself.” He smiled at the woman that had helped coordinate the process. “I must confess that Jessica did the lion’s share of things.” He deflected the recognition toward his assistant and she smiled at the compliment as she slipped out of the office.

Bruce grinned, “How’s her golf game coming?” He remembered showing her proper putting form the day he returned to Wayne Enterprises. She had reported to Earle at the time, but gratefully accepted the transition to Fox when Bruce made him CEO.

“Poorly, she has developed a mean slice.” Fox smiled into the phone and then dropped back into business. “I have a 10:30 tomorrow with your favorite person, after that I will be able to tell you if we can make a run at Hammer.”

Bruce felt his hand tighten on the phone. “Hopefully he won’t show and you will get his handler instead.”

Fox cackled and nodded in agreement. “I was hoping for that scenario as well. She is running the day to day now anyways.”

Bruce smiled, “It was only a matter of time before he had to smarten up and put the right person in charge.”

Fox nodded his head knowingly, “Indeed. He must have taken that lesson out of your playbook on that one.”

Bruce acknowledged their similar situations. “I hate that you have to bring them in on this ...”

“You need all the leverage you can get in Washington.” Lucius understood completely the importance of securing the money for the buyout. He hadn’t made the decision to involve outside investors lightly. Loyalty didn’t mean much in the business world. This was a simple fact that Fox had learned to accept over the course of his years in the business world. But, there were the occasional exceptions. “They owe us a favor.” He stated the fact flatly, “I will call you when we ink it.”

“One more thing,” Bruce hesitated, “I am going to need some more of those meds.”

Lucius knew what it had taken for Bruce to ask for that, “Of course, if there is anything else just let me know.” He flicked off the phone and dropped it back on the stand. Fox depressed the button on his intercom. “Jessica... _go home.”_

Jessica appeared at his door looking tired and slightly rumpled. “Take your own advice, Lucius.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

Bruce reduced himself to rummaging through Selina’s purse feeling very much like a thief himself. He finally located the small pill bottle and took two of the capsules with a long swallow of water. Bruce debated on if he would even try to join Selina in bed, knowing that he would likely be tossing in discomfort rather than actually sleeping. He eventually collapsed into bed, his mind still reeling from his conversation with Fox.

The invading headache was bogging down his thoughts and Bruce made himself let go of the worry and focused on dealing with the situation at hand. He slid in quietly beside Selina, but was silently hopeful that she would awaken and help him through this. He knew it was selfish, but he was barely able to suppress a moan of relief when she turned and faced him. Her brown eyes rolled slowly open as she stretched. Those sleepy eyes came suddenly alert as she watched Bruce curl a fist into the pillow his eyes squinting shut as the muscles in his jaw pulsed. She quickly assessed his condition and whispered, “Did you take—”

“Two, I took two, Selina.” His voice was clipped and short and he was instantly regretful at his response to her.

Selina fought back an automatic retort. _...he must really be hurting_. She pushed up on an elbow and ran an experimental hand through his hair letting it trail down Bruce’s neck. She felt the cords in the muscles as they strained, trembling with their collective exertion as he struggled against the pain. She listened to him closely as his breaths came in gasps as he periodically held it and then blew it forcefully out as he tried to get through the worst of the pain. She continued to move her fingers against his scalp engaging the pressure points while drawing her other hand down to relieve the cramping muscles of his neck and shoulder. He groaned into the pillow and seemed intent on burrowing his face into the cushion as the pain enveloped him.

An hour later it finally started to lift. By then Selina had placed a damp cool cloth over his eyes as her hands worked his temples and neck. When she finally felt his body beginning to relax under her fingers and heard his breathing evening out, she was grateful. She didn’t know what else she could have done to help him short of calling for medical assistance, or at least, consulting Alfred.

At one point she had told Bruce she was going to do the latter and he responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and telling her in no uncertain terms that she could stay or go but she was not to bring Alfred into it. He told her that it would just worry Alfred to see him like this and that he wouldn’t be able to help anyways. Selina had to fight the urge to tell Bruce that she was feeling the very same way herself—worried and unhelpful. The fact that Alfred was good at care-taking and she sucked at it should have automatically defaulted Bruce’s choice to the experienced English butler. She swallowed her argument down and continued to try to bring some comfort to him.

Selina thought Bruce might have fallen asleep when his breathing finally evened out and became slow and regular again. She gently massaged the pressure points on his head, pressing her fingers lightly over the cloth molding it to his eyes and temples. She felt him shift and he pulled the cloth off, turning his face into her thigh. He clutched her hard for a moment before lifting his head and looking around the room. To Selina, he resembled a man awakening from a troublesome dream, disoriented and detached from reality.

Selina continued to rub down his neck and across his shoulders as she spoke to him gently, “We are at Alfred’s. It is still early.” She soothed him with her words, “Lay your head down and rest, Bruce.”

He blinked and glanced around the room again before letting his eyes settle on her. “Selina…I’m sorry...how long…?” He tried to rise and was stopped by the gentle pressure she placed on his shoulder.

“Be still, Bruce. Just relax. I’ve got you,” Selina reassured him gently, coaxing him to return his head back to rest against her.

Bruce felt himself drawn back under her fingers; they smoothed over his brows encouraging him to close his eyes. Her hands drifted over him, soothing the places that still held the echoes of pain. He breathed out her name as sleep finally claimed him. His reality blurred into dream and he was with Selina again. Her lips parting as she smiled at him; eyes blinking slowly, her face tilting as the dark brown orbs studied him. He reached out his hand and touched her cheek, whispered gently into her ear that he loved her.

She sat in the dark and watched Bruce struggle in a fitful sleep. He twitched under her hands, leaning heavier into her touch as he mumbled words against the skin of her leg. She held her breath and tried to convince herself that she hadn’t heard him voice that phrase. A thousand things could have been rolling through his mind, blinded by pain and fatigue she wouldn’t hold this moment of weakness against him. 

Bruce curled further into her and his head pillowed on her stomach and he wrapped his arms securely around her waist. Selina stroked down his back and across his forehead and the feeling of déjà vu struck her. She flashed to the afternoon in his penthouse after they had escaped, the first time she he had sought her comfort during one of his tremendous headaches. She held him against her now and shut her eyes against the flood of memories that threatened to release from her subconscious. They had been through so much in their short time together. It was overwhelming when she allowed her mind to travel back over the course of events since she cracked that safe in Wayne Manor.

Selina finally drifted off. Her fingers eventually stilled and they became lax, loosing themselves in the dark waves of Bruce’s hair.

xxxx

“Selina, wake up.”

She felt hands on her shoulder and her eyes opened quickly. She looked at him closely, “Are you alright Bruce?”

The concern in her voice touched him as he pulled her from the awkward angle that she had come to rest in. “Come here Selina. Come down here to me.”

She let herself be guided down to rest against him. Not understanding fully what was happening she looked over at the clock beside the bed and then felt the kink in her neck. Flexing painfully she realized why he had woken her. The angle of her neck while she slept must have been extreme.

She nestled down against him grateful for the warmth of his body against her chilled arms and face. He brushed his hands up her back and tucked the covers around her. “I’m sorry Selina. I was out of it, I didn’t mean for you to—”

“Bruce,” Selina cut him off with her groggy voice, “are you feeling better?” She thought he must be from the clear sound of his voice.

Bruce nodded and held her to him. “Much.” He buried his nose in her hair and kissed her gently. “Thank you, Selina.” She patted his shoulder as she took a deep breath inhaling the now familiar fragrance of him, tea tree soap and an underlying male scent that was distinctly, Bruce Wayne. Her head rested heavier on his muscled chest as her breathing fell into deep regular draws. She was nearly asleep again when she heard his voice. “Selina?”

“Umm,” her voice sounded thick and far away. Bruce hugged her against him and she felt his chest lifting and falling reassuringly under her as she drifted.

“It can wait.” He laid beside her with the dark memories from his pain filled dreams lurking around the corners of his mind. He had awoken from nightmares of the tunnels under Gotham. He had felt what it was like to be trapped. He had felt the panic and crushing fear. He could still feel it strumming through his body as he held her across her chest. He tried to think past the problem. Selina was stubborn, but she could be reasonable. He smiled at his own naive hopefulness that he would be able to reason with her.

_I can get her to reconsider going in through the ducts…talk to her instead of making demands of her. I don’t need a repeat performance of her jetting out a window and pulling the job on her own. I never should have done that to her...never should have made her feel like without me was better than with me. Screw it, if I let that happen again._

Bruce looked down and adjusted the cover over her bare shoulder _._ He took comfort in the feel of her body against his and let sleep take them both.

_xxxxxx_

Selina padded through the large house in her bare feet. Her well-traveled Newton runners hung by their reflective laces and bounced soundless against her thigh. She hesitated for a moment outside Alfred’s bedroom until she heard the heavy breathing indicative of sleep. She continued on to the patio, cocking her head to the side, she quickly located the security sensor override and bypassed the circuit with a small current pulse.

Satisfied the alarm would not sound across the house, Selina opened the patio door and slipped outside. The rain pattered on her nylon track suit and she glowered at the noise that brought. She quickly slipped on her shoes and swung over the third floor patio railing dropping soundless to the patio below. Walking smoothly over to where the retaining wall joined against the villa, she lowered herself midway then dropped the remaining distance down to the stone wall that defined Alfred’s property. Her feet were staggered strategically to ensure her safe landing and balance on the narrow stone shelf.

She stretched her arms over her head and twisted at the waist before trotting down its length toward the road. As she ran, her feet landed effortlessly on the center of the wet one foot ledge. Selina never slowed at the gate, she just cart wheeled off the wall and landed without fanfare eight feet down on the cobbled street outside the fence. She adjusted the hood of her black jacket before jogging off nonchalantly into the distance.

Bruce watched the periodic reflective flash off her running shoes until she disappeared past the glow of the street lamps. Smiling at the image of her spinning off the wall he leaned his bare shoulder against the cool glass as he looked out over the still sleeping city of Florence. Sighing deeply he wondered at himself; questioned the choices he was making. _Why do you need more than this Bruce? What more do you need than Selina and the freedom to make a life together? You could take her anywhere and she would not only survive, but thrive. I’m not exactly without skills. I made it years on my own, living on the street existing free from the Wayne name and all the money and responsibility that came with it. I survived without Gotham ...and it had survived without me. Was it worth losing all of this to go back now?_

_xxxxx_

Alfred stood at the kitchen counter as a kettle of water boiled merrily behind him. A laptop on the counter had tabs for the local news, wall street journal and Gotham Times open; the Gotham link was playing video as Bruce walked sleepily out of his bedroom. He and Alfred nodded at one another, as Bruce slumped sleepily on a chair at the counter. Alfred paused the video play back. “I’ve seen you going to bed at this time before Master Wayne, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you waking at this hour.”

Bruce waved off the comment. “How about some coffee before you start firing shots across my bow Alfred?” Bruce suppressed a smile as he absorbed the gentle tease from his long time caregiver.

Alfred smiled in amusement at Bruce’s familiar grumpiness as he started preparing the coffee. “Still not a morning person I see.” Alfred made the needless observation despite Bruce’s request for a cease-fire. “Will the Missus be joining us?”

Bruce yawned and let the implications of Alfred’s “Missus” comment ride, “Eventually. She is out on a run.”

Alfred set down an empty coffee cup in front of Bruce and shook his head. “Do you not understand it is pouring rain outside?”

Bruce ran a hand through his hair and then over his face. “Do you not understand that I have no control over her actions? Besides it’s your fault anyways.” Bruce tossed the receipt from the market on the table. There was a note written on the back in Selina’s looping script, _‘Out pounding the pavement in anticipation of Alfred making me eat breakfast’ SK_

Alfred rolled his eyes mumbling, “Stubborn…”

Bruce chuckled, “Pot, meet kettle.”

Alfred raised a brow at that, but neglected to escalate the argument, electing instead to pour coffee for the younger man. They enjoyed their respective beverages in companionable silence as they watched the news out of Gotham. Gordon appeared several times in interviews with local and network affiliates. Alfred smiled at the mention of the Catwoman and the speculations as to her identity and whereabouts. Gordon just shrugged off the question, “I don’t need to know anymore about her than what I do. She was willing to help when we needed it. She has the gratitude of this office and the gratitude of Gotham.” Questions eventually went to the rebuild of the city and the Red Cross shelter areas that were still being erected to care for displaced citizens.

Bruce retired back to bed after Alfred had to wake him up twice as he nodded off at the counter.

xxxxxx

Selina climbed the wall in silence, not allowing the cold rain to deter her from her training. She had wanted to give the wall a try the second she saw Alfred’s villa. Three stories up flat faced brick with mortar. _Cake._ She paused a moment before swinging onto the patio. She didn’t want to startle Alfred should he be in the vicinity. She pulled up on the railing and leveraged herself over, landing lightly on the brick patio. She caught her breath for a moment as she unzipped her jacket shaking the water off as she pushed the hood from her head. It seemed she had just narrowly avoided Alfred as he was now opening the door to the patio handing her a towel.

“Security system.” Alfred supplied without needing to hear her question. “First rate one evidently, since it caught the infamous Catwoman scaling my walls.”

Thinking of the many nights she had spent in jail, Selina was forced to scoff at his deduction. “Don’t believe all the hype from the media. I’m not all that illusive Alfred.” She smirked as she wiped the cloth over her wet face. She stepped under the cover of the tile roof line as the rain began to pelt down harder.

“It’s not the media that is your greatest advocate. For that you need only look as far as Master Wayne,” Alfred stated the facts as he saw them and was encouraged to see that it seemed to please Selina to hear it. “I would imagine that one ought to be complimented that much more knowing that the high praises also come from the Batman.”

She gave Alfred a week smile, “Well, both their opinions are liable to be biased.” Selina found it strange to be able to talk so freely about Bruce’s alter ego. It reminded her of her conversations with Fox. Her smile strengthened as she found herself anticipating Fox’s arrival in only a few more days.

Alfred raised his eyebrows and lifted his chin, “Since he has had the opportunity to assess your capabilities up close, one would believe he is simply _observant_ rather than biased.” Alfred held the door for her, indicating she should step on another towel he had spread on the floor. He continued to speak, in his measured tones, “He is most grateful to you as well, for standing with him in Gotham…for saving his life,” Alfred stated this with what seemed to be some disappointment in her for not disclosing the details to him directly.

Selina gave Alfred a guarded look, not adding anything to the story for fear of revealing more than Bruce had and thus worrying Alfred needlessly.

Alfred gave her a deprecating look, “Master Wayne brought me up to speed on the more exciting aspects of your time together in Gotham after you took your leave of us.” Alfred hesitated a moment before continuing, “I believe I owe you a debt of gratitude as well, for saving Master Wayne.” He nodded his head curtly at Selina, “That is a debt that can never be repaid, nor will it be forgotten, Ms. Kyle.”

Selina shook her head, “He had it under control, I just was in a better position to take out Bane.”

Alfred lifted his chin and effectively cut off Selina’s deflection. “The proper response is to accept the offered appreciation.” Alfred waited until Selina nodded that she understood. “Furthermore, that wasn’t the incident I was referring to, although Master Wayne described a very different take on the battle with Bane as well.” Alfred looked at her, obviously unhappy that she continued to gloss over the truth with him.

Selina smiled in spite of being scolded, discovering that she did not feel as bad about being reprimanded by Alfred as she probably should have been. She had a feeling that Alfred was rarely without an air of disapproval when dealing with Bruce, so if anything, she was in good company.

“I was in fact, referring to your part in the awakening of Rip Van Winkle.” Alfred pointed down the hall toward the bedroom she shared with Bruce. “I tried for eight years to get him back into the land of the living. All you have to do is clip his mother’s pearls and Bob’s your uncle, Master Wayne is back in the thick of it all.”

 _Bob’s your uncle_ , Selina snickered at Alfred’s Britishisms while she removed her shoes and tried to contain her dripping to the confines of the strategically placed towel.

Alfred leaned in whispering conspiratorially, “ _By the way, those pearls look positively magnificent on you.”_

Selina chuckled, “Well, I will give you my number Alfred, so if Bruce digresses and starts practicing indoor archery again you can just give me a call.” She straightened and smiled, “I will make it a point to drop by and steal something else of his.”

“Best for all involved if you remain close at hand and see to his day to day welfare yourself,” Alfred chided her. “Besides, the only thing he has of value now _is_ you.”

Selina looked over at the old gentleman more than a little taken aback by what he had said. _Was this the Alfred Pennyworth seal of approval she just received?  "_ Well that will soon be changing Alfred. I pull this job and Gotham’s first son will be back in the money. Then everything can get back to normal.”

Alfred shook his head, “I hope for everyone’s sake that the normal you are speaking of is not the status we all occupied _before_ your pearl heist, Ms. Kyle.” Alfred regarded her solemnly as she ran the towel over her hair.

Selina sighed, finding that she had no willingness to play the game with Alfred. So far he seemed to be the straightest shooter of them all. He deserved the same respect, besides she wasn’t a woman known for sugar-coating anything. “I would have thought that you would want better for him Alfred.”

The distinguished Butler seemed baffled by the accusation that he had suggested less than the best for his charge. “I beg your pardon miss, but what do you mean by that?”

Selina held his gaze with hers and hoped that he would see that she wasn’t baiting him, that she wasn’t trying to get his buy in on her. “Alfred, I am a thief from the gutters of Gotham, Bruce would be on a social blacklist just by associating with me. How can you think that is what would be best for him?” Selina was intrigued as to why Alfred, who had, according to Bruce, struggled long and hard for him to be accepted into Gotham’s high society would now suddenly take a left turn and sign off on a woman like her.

Alfred exhaled a huff of air at the disparaging remarks Selina had made toward herself. It was a rare person that could possess such critical self-awareness and couple it seamlessly with unapologetic ownership. Selina did both, she knew exactly who she was and she owned it without remorse or apology. Alfred nodded at her in approval. _Moxy, Selina Kyle had it in excess_. His eyes softened at her obvious inability to see what it was about her that Bruce had fallen in love with and why that mattered far more than Wayne’s place on Gotham’s A-list. “It is not a matter of _where_ we come from or what space we occupy on the social ladder that defines our worth, Ms. Kyle. It is the quality and caliber of the person that is of value.”

He held out a long, full white robe and opened it, turning his head away from her as he waited expectantly. Selina saw Alfred’s attempt at preserving her modesty while simultaneously preserving the condition of his hand-scraped wood floors. She smiled and obligingly peeled off her sopping wet clothes before slipping her arms into the robe and fastening it around herself. Alfred turned to face her again and she met his blue eyes with her soft brown, “Alfred, I would have to climb three flights out of the basement just to see the bottom rung on Gotham’s social ladder.” She was nearly pleading with him to understand before this went any further, “I don’t fit in Bruce Wayne’s world, Alfred.”

Alfred placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down at the woman before him. “Neither does he.” He let his hands fall to her upper arms and squeezed gently. “He never has. Bruce has spent his life pretending, doing just enough to stay within the societal fold so that he could continue the charitable work of his parents.” Alfred chuckled, “I suppose I am no different. We are all just actors playing at our respective parts.” Selina looked at him in obvious confusion and Alfred smiled gently down at her. “Ms Kyle, do you believe that I was born into position as a proper English butler?”

Selina let the question hang for a moment then smiled and shrugged, “Alfred, if you told me you were born full-grown in a suit with tails and white gloves I would believe you.”

Alfred chuckled at that. “Well then Miss, you would have shorted me of some of my most valuable life experiences.” Alfred bent down and gathered her items off the floor, silencing her protest at him cleaning after her with a sharp look. He wrapped his free arm around her shoulder. “Come with me and I will regale you with the story of how this lowly stripey came to work for the Doctor and his Missus while you have a spot of tea to warm yourself.”

Selina trailed along with him, a quizzical look on her face, “She had intended on asking him what a ‘stripey’ was, but then she side-tracked, “Is it my imagination Alfred, or is this robe...warm?”

She felt around on the material as Alfred looked on with a look of complete amusement, “Indeed, fresh out of the linen warmer.” He looked at her and grinned,” Why would one ever wish to wear a cold robe?” Selina looked at him in disbelief, shaking her head at the entire situation she had become involved in. Alfred laughed in earnest at her forlorn expression, “Dear, we have a long way to go in getting you accustomed to the finer things in life.”

xxxxx

In the next hour Alfred Pennyworth succeeded in upsetting every preconception Selina had about the elder man’s position with the Wayne family...Alfred told her a story that began forty-one years ago:

 _Originally_ , _Thomas had hired bodyguards and security officers for protection after a failed kidnapping attempt was made against Martha. Only her own quick thinking and fast reactions had prevented abduction. Thomas Wayne’s new bride found the resulting security measures unacceptable. She was forever in the presence of hired guards that seemed intent on making her a prisoner in her own home. She had finally become so distracted by the situation that she informed Thomas that she was unwilling to live her life surrounded by grunting monosyllabic mobsters with guns. She demanded that he remove the men or risk losing her completely._

_Thomas had no idea of how he was to reconcile his need for security while still respecting his wife’s boundaries, until he met Alfred Pennyworth. Their paths had crossed in the most unlikely of places, Rangoon. It was Thomas Wayne’s second year out of medical school and his first year in service abroad with the volunteer medical brigade. Rangoon was also the last duty station for Alfred Pennyworth as his tour of duty as a sergeant in the SAS British Special Forces had finally reached its conclusion._

_Wayne had been reluctant to leave his young bride in America after such a harrowing experience only a few months earlier. They had agreed that she would allow the body guards to continue in his absence, but their services would terminate immediately upon Thomas’s arrival back in the States. The young doctor would have agreed to anything she had asked so long as he had the peace of mind that she would be protected while he was away. He found himself constantly working on a resolution that would satisfy both of their requirements._

_After serving several months alongside the British soldiers_ , _he began to be impressed with a certain sergeant, Alfred Pennyworth. The chap’s uncompromising English manners and smooth style coupled with quick wit and intelligence had often earned him an invitation to the officer’s poker table. He was entertaining and engaging as he took the officers’ wages, always offering a jaunty salute as he departed with heavy pockets. Pennyworth was a gracious victor and an amiable loser on the rare occasions when lady luck neglected him._

_Wayne liked the temperament of Pennyworth. He was balanced and sure of himself even in the middle of the most adverse of circumstances. His calm nature earned him favor among the enlisted men as they revered him both as a decisive leader and a trusted confidant. Wayne himself had sought out the elder man’s company for the same reasons. They forged a friendship over a well-worn chessboard, discussing literature and life through a haze of apple pipe tobacco. On more than one occasion Alfred had told Wayne that he was grateful to finally meet a Yank with a functional frontal lobe, Wayne reciprocated with his yankee rendition of ‘God Save the Queen’._

_When the order had been given to burn the forest, Pennyworth had directed his troops to hold the bridge while he and Wayne attempted to evacuate a small village that threatened to be consumed by the spreading blaze. Wayne told Pennyworth later as they lay side by side on cots in the medical tent that he would never forget the sight of him leaping through the wall of flames with the bundled child in his arms. Pennyworth told him that he would never forget the sight of the doctor resuscitating her._

_When the commander came demanding answers_ , _Alfred had stepped forward and accepted responsibility for leaving his post to evacuate the village. Wayne watched as Alfred accepted punishment for his valiant act rather than the accolades it had rightly deserved. He told Alfred, “I knew you were a man of worth when you never blinked an eye nor showed a sign of regret at the action, even when they took your rank.” Alfred had smiled and patted the young doctor’s knee, “My friend_ , _you only have one judgment to fear in life and that is the one you face when you look back over the legacy you leave. This is one event I bloody well won’t be answering for.”_

_Thomas had insisted then that Alfred join him in the states. He had promised him a life that was free from war, a place where his specific skill set would be of ultimate value. In the service of the Wayne’s, Alfred would finally be able to reconcile his proper English upbringing with the capabilities instilled in him during his service to Her Majesty’s special forces. Alfred would be tasked with protecting that which was most valuable to Thomas Wayne...Martha, and then eventually ...their child._

_“A finer man I could not find_ _,_ _Sir Alfred. It must be you beside me, I would trust no other with my family. I would trust no other to invite **into** my family.” The doctor looked at him with clear eyes that spoke to his conviction, “You deserve a life outside this hell.” Their hands had met in a firm handshake, the blood and the mud mixed as they made the commitment to each other. Six months later_ , _Alfred’s duty to Queen and country was complete and he was ringing the bell at Wayne Manor in the United States._

_Martha Wayne had answered and was so taken with him that she had hired him on herself as their butler not thirty minutes later. Thomas had stood beside her as she welcomed Alfred Pennyworth into their home and their family. Neither he nor Alfred mentioned they had ever known each other before that day._

Alfred refreshed her tea and twisted a thin slice of lemon beside the cup. “All that mattered was that I had found a home and the Wayne’s had found someone they could trust with their future. For Thomas Wayne, it was not a matter of my origin, but rather the quality of the man that was standing before him that day. The man I still try to be today.”

Selina she shook her head, “I would have had no idea Alfred. Did you ever tell this to Bruce?”

“No, he didn’t,” Bruce’s voice sounded from the door and Alfred turned with a slight smile, seemingly not surprised at all by the younger man’s presence.

“Well, now you know, Master Bruce.” Alfred gave him a slight bow of acknowledgment before he turned to start the second round of coffee.

Selina watched them both with guarded care as Bruce entered the room. The shock was plain on Bruce’s face as he was forced to view his long time companion from a completely different perspective. “All this time Alfred, why didn’t you tell me?”

Alfred raised his brows, “Would it have mattered, sir? Would it have changed anything between us, what we have been to each other?” Alfred shook his head, “It was of no consequence how I came into the service of your parents, it was enough for you to know that I was there for you, that I will always be there for you.”

Bruce stood beside Selina, bracing himself against the counter with both hands, “So why now...why tell this story now?”

Alfred tossed the tea towel over his shoulder and assumed the same stance on the other side of the counter, arms supporting him on the counter as he refused to avoid conversation with Bruce. “Because the Missus needed to hear it,” Alfred stated his reason plain and clear and with no offer of further clarification.

Bruce glanced over at Selina as she watched them with her large brown eyes. Bruce swallowed and furrowed his brow. “And why is that?” He straightened and placed a protective hand at her back, his mind racing at what Alfred was alluding to.

Alfred smiled tightly, “That sir, is between the Missus and myself.”

Bruce was taken aback by that, but understood the tone in Alfred’s voice that they had reached the end of his willingness to discuss the subject.

Selina smiled at the courage the older gentleman obviously still possessed, “Thank you Alfred.”

Alfred took her hand and pressed it between his, “Here to serve miss.”

Xxxxxxxxx

Selina let the water beat down on the tight muscles of her back and neck as she pulled the last remaining stitch out of her side. Bruce had joined her in getting ready for the day after spending some time with Alfred after she had retreated.

Selina hadn’t wanted to be a part of _that_ discussion. Bruce was confused and obviously a little shaken at not having known the complete truth about Alfred. Maybe he was upset that Alfred had shared it with her first? She wasn’t sure that it even mattered; she knew Bruce would move past it. The fact was Alfred was still the man he had always been; they might actually be even closer now that Bruce knew of his father’s past with him.

Bruce stood at the mirror cleaning up the hair lines on his chin and neck. Selina watched him for a moment appreciating the low slung powder blue towel as it wrapped his waist. She traveled her eyes up his back as it expanded into a swelling V indicative of well worked latissimus dorsi, delts, and traps. He was a man that cared less about the aesthetics of his body and more about the utility of the muscles. That was what Selina liked most about him. The truth of who he was emblazoned across his skin, the scars marked him as a fighter...a soldier. She noticed him watching her in the mirror and she smirked unapologetically at having been leering at him. She said the first thing that occurred to her, “Thought you were done with the goatee”

Bruce shook his head, “That was just for Alfred’s sake. I wanted him to recognize me.”

Selina raised a brow and leaned on the wall of the shower, “Really? I figured with you looking like a mountain man for eight years he might be able to pick you out of a crowd with a beard.”

Bruce almost missed her words as he looked at her standing there defiant and cocky giving him hell while her eyes devoured him. He lowered the razor and looked at her for a moment before setting it down with deliberate care on the stone vanity.

She may not know the ins and outs of Bruce Wayne like his long time butler, but she knew that look on his face. She felt her stomach tighten and her body stimulating at the sheer anticipation of his touch. _How can that even be…?_

Bruce wiped his face absently with a towel and turned to face her. “What if I told you I was growing it for you?”

Selina smirked, “I would say…good for me.”

Bruce flashed his eyes at her as he turned off the water in the sink. “What if I told you I wanted something in return?”

Selina smiled, “I would ask what you have in mind...and if Alfred had any rules against it?” Selina backed further into the water making room for him in the wide expanse of the shower.

Bruce walked across the room and reached his hand out to cup her chin, “Don’t go in through the ducts.” He let her register what he was saying, “I couldn’t stop thinking about it last night, I dreamed about it all night.” He kissed her as he peeled off his towel and threw it on the floor behind him. He broke the connection with her long enough to hear that she was arguing. He engaged her lips with his, allowing his hands to travel along her body and both found their targets, a beautiful breast and the warm cradle between her thighs.

He pressed and worked until her argued words were muffled moans. His mouth went to her ear and he started talking. “You are amazing, the way you make me feel Selina, how hard your body gets me. I want so much to be inside you…to feel you around me...to hear you say my name when you get off.” Her eyes were glazed with passion and need and he had to prevent her from taking matters into her own hands as she pulled at his hips and bucked against his hand. “Tell me you won’t go in the ducts Selina, I don’t want you to,” Bruce discovered he wasn’t too proud to beg, “I don’t want you to. Promise me you won’t.”

Selina moaned a small sound as Bruce filled her with his fingers and allowed his mouth to fire kisses along her neck. She leveraged off the wall and wrapped her legs around his waist. Bruce kept his hand firmly in between them, allowing her to grind against the palm of his hand. It was some relief to her, but he knew it wasn’t nearly enough. He pressed her firmly against the wall of the shower, “Promise me Selina.” He pulled her hair gently like he knew she liked, just a little rough, just enough to let her know that he could control her if he really wanted to. She gasped in response, her thighs closing against him reflexively as his teeth found her throat. “Promise me Selina, then I will make this happen for you.”

She felt his body pulse beneath her and she almost agreed, instead she forced her eyes open and smiled at her tormentor. Kissing him she whispered in his ear, “This is dirty Bruce, it’s cheating.”

He nodded as he agreed. “It is. I know...but I don’t want to think of you in that duct, alone.” He pulled her hard against him wrapping his arms around her, grounding her to him. She could feel his heart beating against his ribs. “Please Selina.”

She kissed his lips and tilted his head up to meet her eyes. She shook her head in sympathy, “I’ll be fine, Bruce. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have worried you with all this...with this junk from my past...the tunnel...my father—”

“No,” he barked the word at her and she watched him rein in his frustration. “Don’t apologize…I don’t want you holding anything back from me Selina…not now.” He struggled with himself as she stroked his face then trailed her hands through his hair. His eyes met hers and she saw the pain.

“Bruce don’t…” She dropped her eyes, “Don’t feel sorry for me.”

He pulled her tighter against him nuzzling into her neck, “I’m not feeling sorry for you, Selina. I’m worried about you. I want you to trust me, to feel safe with me.” Bruce felt her arms tighten around him. “That’s a hard balance when I know you are going into that bank. I’m so torn with it all.”

She turned her head and looked at him, quietly assessing the weight of the words from the man that held her.

Bruce held her tighter, “You are going into harm’s way for me. You are going into that cramped shaft alone, in the dark and it kills me, Selina. It kills me to know you are going to be alone. That you might be afraid, and that I won’t be there, that I can’t be there for you.”

She silenced him with her lips and was glad for the warmth of the water as it kept her from shuddering at the cold that gripped her chest when she thought of the pipe, the frozen sludge surrounding her, the clawing cold that seized her muscles as she struggled to get free from the grip of the collapsing tube. She trembled and slipped her arms around his neck, laying her chin on his shoulder as they held each other. She nuzzled against him, rubbing her cheek up his neck against the beginning stubble on his cheek.

He heard her small sound of appreciation at the feeling and was glad he had been able to please her with such a small gesture.

Selina found her voice, “There isn’t another way, Bruce. Believe me, if there was I would have found it.” She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “You will know where I am Bruce, that will be enough.”

“Comlink.” The word left his mouth a harsh whisper. “You will carry a comlink and it stays on the entire time.” He braced her against him, pressing his body against hers.

Selina tightened her arms around him. _Hearing his voice...if only I had that before...just hearing his voice would have changed everything in that tunnel._ She forced her voice to ask, “Will that be enough for you, Bruce?”

He pulled her away from his chest and she could see the struggle in his eyes. “It will be enough to keep me sane.”

Selina kissed him trailing her lips over his gently. “I have to be silent Bruce, I won’t be able to talk.” Her eyes searched his and she saw the concern and compassion that lived behind the intense green orbs. She realized then that he was doing this more for her then himself.

“I will do the talking and if you need me, I will be there.” He kissed her hard and quick. “Agreed?”

Selina fought back the emotion in her voice, “You know I like it when you do the talking Bruce.” She smiled seductively, “Why don’t you give me a preview.”

His lips found hers again and he let the space between them collapse as he entered her body. Pressing her hard between himself and the wall until she was leveraging against it and driving back up into him. Her stomach rippled with muscle and his hands drifted along them as the water sprayed down between them. “Jesus Selina, you are amazing...look at you.” He felt that overwhelming possessiveness again as he took in the sight of her biting down on her lower lip as she fought with the pleasure-pain of their joining. He knew that he would do anything for her...be anything she needed or wanted him to be.

He felt her move against him and then her leg was over his shoulder, the other landed lightly beside his on the shower floor. She was spread out against him in an unfathomable demonstration of her flexibility. “Selina.” He trembled against her as his brain tried to wrap around the incredible sensation this produced. He pressed her leg between his and the shower wall and grasped her ankle by his ear with the other. “Let’s see how flexible you are Selina, shall we?” He slowly straightened her leg, pressing it up toward the glass.

Selina raised her eyes to his and he shook his head as she just smiled. That self-satisfied, so damn sure-of-herself smile that he loved to see on her. It was the look that showed she knew just how freaking awesome she was and that you were just lucky to be in orbit around her. “Yeah you know it don’t you, Selina? You know how amazing you are. Do you know how it makes me feel that you show your real self to me, open yourself up just for me?”

Selina looked at Bruce with such trust that words escaped him. He slipped his free hand around her waist and pushed himself in completely. The fit was so incredibly tight that Selina yelped and he covered her cries with his mouth. “Do you need me to stop?” He demanded an answer and she shook her head that she was alright. Bruce knew this was the best she could give him and he accepted it. “Good, that’s good...because I still want to take you like this Selina.” He was surprised by the calm restraint in his voice. “I want you to come apart like this for me, spread out around me like this.” He pressed her legs further apart and pulled her in and he had never felt like he had been more inside her. He pulsed against her, grinding his pelvis against hers as he felt her release. She muffled her gasps of pleasure against his chest as she clung to him, trusting him to see her through.

Bruce lowered her leg gently, slipping his palm along the wet skin until he was supporting her thigh while his other arm slid from around her waist to her hip and he settled himself in her before dropping a kiss on her lips. “That’s my girl.”

“You holding out on me Wayne?” She gasped out the question as she felt him still hard inside her.

Bruce shook his head, “You are too tight like that. I need to be able to feel myself moving into you.” He drew back and slid in again and she gasped. Bruce relished the feel of her as he pushed into her. “There is nothing like how you make me feel Selina, you are my drug. I get high off you...the taste...the feel of you.” Bruce bent and let his lips find the pulse point on her neck as he thrust into her, determined now to satisfy his own need. He kept the pace until she was moaning his name again. She squeezed around him as he emptied himself into her. Bruce clutched desperately at her hips, ensuring that she would not pull away before he finished.

Bruce leaned heavy onto the wall, supporting himself with his arm as Selina dropped down agilely beside him, slipping her arm around his waist as he heaved deep breaths in recovery. He kissed her cheek and panted against her wet skin. Selina stroked his chest and ran her hand up his neck and into his hair. He groaned and leaned into her. “Selina, that feels so damn good.” He kissed her again, “ _You_ , feel so damn good.” He watched her teeth flash as she smiled at him and he waited for her chin to dip, for her eyes to fall. When they didn’t, he pressed on. “You are the sexiest woman I have ever met, Selina.”

Selina whispered in his ear, “It’s easy to feel sexy when a man looks at me the way you do me, Bruce.”

Bruce pulled her to him and held her as he again fought the urge to confess his love for her. _Pick your time_ , _pick your place, Wayne. The shower after sex wasn’t how this was going down. She deserves better than me pulling the trigger like that_. Bruce did recognize that it was only a matter of time before the round got fired, but he was a calculating man and he wanted the timing to be right. Selina deserved all of this to be done the right way. All of it.

xxxxxx

Bruce laid out the time line that Fox had presented him and Selina nodded as she pulled on the calf high boots Bruce had bought her in Nice. She frowned slightly as she contemplated the change in schedule as she adjusted the dark black denim of her jeans across the dark yellow ostrich skin boots. She usually didn’t work like this; she called the shots on when and if a job got done. The rule was how she kept herself out of jail. The last time she hadn’t was when she went in after Wayne’s prints. _And look where that got me?._ She flicked an eye over to Bruce where he sat watching her intently. _Where indeed?_ Selina gave him a small seductive smile and dropped her lashes over her eyes. He looked the picture of seduction himself—olive drab long sleeve to battle the chill in the air, washed faded jeans that had long since molded themselves to his body, feet bare on the cool wood floor.

Bruce felt his jaw flex as his brain processed her look. He found himself suddenly regretting that she was slipping on the black lace sweater over her revealing gold silk camisole. _Wayne_ , _get a handle on yourself._

“I need to get back to Monaco, Bruce.” Selina stated this as more of a sad fact than an actual request as she walked past him to her bag, digging through the pack until she found her brush. She sat down on the end of the bed and ran several swipes through her hair, dragging at the tangles.

Bruce took the brush away and gave her a warning glare. “You are too rough,” he scolded her and kissed her temple.

“You are one to talk there sport, you are usually the rough one. You are usually the one putting those tangles in there too.”

Bruce sat down behind her, his legs straddling hers. He chuckled and nuzzled her neck, “Do you want me to apologize?’

Selina leaned back into him and rubbed her back against his chest, “No…I’m not a delicate little flower Bruce.”

Bruce brushed the bristles through her hair, pulling gently at the tangles until they loosened their grip. “I think I know that…but you don’t mind if sometimes I treat you like one anyway? Especially after I’m rough with you.”

She knew he was alluding to their romp earlier. Selina smiled at that, liking that she could be this way with a man, be this way…with Bruce. Letting herself enjoy sex, letting herself go in the moment knowing that she wouldn’t be hurt, that he wouldn’t push her further than she was willing. Being able to trust that he cared for her enough to make everything about how she felt at the end, about how she felt about him when it was over.

Bruce combed through her damp hair, allowing it to fall back gently from the brush to her back. He saw the reflective look on her face, “What are you thinking Selina?”

She looked over at him and smirked, “I was just thinking about how much I like having sex with you.”

Bruce pursed his lips and smiled at her blatant honesty. He swallowed against the constriction he felt in his throat, “You just using me for cheap thrills, Ms. Kyle?” His doubt at the depth of her connection to him surfaced again. Maybe this was all he was to her.

“I guess in some ways, maybe I am.” Selina gave him a side look with more than a little guilt attached. “Bruce, I have never had the opportunity to be myself like this with anyone before…to get what I want from a man the way I do from you. To give myself over the way I have to you.” Bruce absorbed her words as his hands drifted through the soft fall of her hair. He listened closely, understanding that she was telling him things about herself that didn’t come easily. “I’ve never been able to do this without regret...without hating myself after. Until you.”

Bruce saw the pain behind her brown eyes and felt his heart stutter as he again wished he could have spared her the terrible experiences that shaped her young life. “Selina, I wish there was something that I could do or say that would make this easier for you, help you to trust what we have. Just know that I will never hurt you.” Bruce wrapped his arm around her as he ran the brush down the length of her brown hair. “I wish I could promise that I could always be here to protect you against everything that might happen.” He worked his jaw as it clenched against the admission of his limitations. “Believe that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe…stop anyone from ever hurting you again.”

He hesitated a few seconds and she saw the dark conflicted look in his face as Bruce remembered the incredible dangers he had faced during his own life. His eyes were hard and demanding when he spoke his next words. “Selina, I never want you to give up being the woman who doesn’t _need_ me to protect her. You have learned too many hard lessons in your life to be anything less than the sum of those experiences.”

Bruce’s thoughts ran to Rachel...the Joker. How she had tried to bravely stand against him only to have the insane clown hold her out above the city and then throw her carelessly from the rooftop. _God help that green haired bastard if he had tried that with Selina Kyle. She would have eaten his soul for breakfast._ He pushed the Joker’s demented face far from his mind before he opened his eyes and looked down at Selina. “You are a fighter Selina...and you take absolutely no shit off anyone.” Bruce pressed his lips to her temple and whispered , “Those are two of your most attractive qualities, Miss Kyle.”

The respect he had for her was apparent in the open and unguarded dialogue when he spoke. _Respect_ , that was something Selina had little experience with in her lifetime. She had rarely given it and almost never garnered it, until Bruce. _Another first._ She blew out a shaky breath and kissed him gently. “Come on Bruce, Alfred is waiting on you to take him to lunch and I have to meet Sigmund.”

Bruce held her tighter and leaned his forehead against hers. “Bring him with. I want to spend my day with you, even if it means paying for skinny Sigmund’s lunch.”

Selina smiled and kissed him, “Maybe it will be our treat today, Mr. Wayne.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three days later Lucius Fox was touching down at the airport in Nice. Selina Kyle leaned comfortably against the fender of the red Bugatti as the private plane dropped onto the runway. The little puff of smoke as the wheels met the tarmac made her smile in spite of herself. Fox was here and he was bringing a sack of goodies that Santa himself would be jealous of. It was time to get this job underway and Selina Kyle was more than ready.


	10. Chapter 10

 Three days later Lucius Fox was touching down at the airport in Nice. Selina Kyle leaned comfortably against the fender of the red Bugatti as the private plane dropped onto the runway. The little puff of smoke as the wheels met the tarmac made her smile in spite of herself. Fox was here and he was bringing a sack of goodies that Santa himself would be jealous of. It was time to get this job underway and Selina Kyle was more than ready.

_Earlier:_

Alfred and Bruce were to embark on their own adventure while Selina drove in to pick up Fox. Selina had chosen a beautiful thigh length cream dress with brown striping and monster six inch coffee colored heels to wear to the airport. She completed the cultured look by curling her hair in waves and adding the Wayne pearls. Alfred was in the kitchen making preparations for breakfast when she walked in. He cleared his throat at Bruce who was working diligently on the computer and tapped his shoulder, “You had best get on your feet so Ms. Kyle can knock you off of them properly.”

Bruce looked up, still dressed in his black silk robe and pajamas. “Wow.” Then he did rise to his feet because he didn’t know what else to do when something like that walked into the room.

Selina grinned and gave them a twirl in the dress. She loved it, it made her feel like a million dollars. Hell, it probably cost a million dollars. The boutique Bruce had bought it from didn’t even have the nerve to put prices on their items. Bruce, had simply smiled and kissed her and told them to bundle it and the shoes she had tried it on with _._

 _I remember buying the dress but I don’t remember her looking quite so drop dead amazing then as she does right now_ … He rethought his decision to let her go without him… _how does a man separate himself from that intentionally?_

Alfred rounded the counter, tossing the tea towel over his plaid sweater. “Miss, you look positively breathtaking.” He looked with approval at her outfit and shook his head in amazement. _Just an hour ago she was in track pants and a ball cap doing pull ups off the balcony railing_. Alfred had interrupted her workout demanding she go to the lower level lest she wish to give him a pounding coronary at the thought of her falling.

She strode up to Alfred and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You are too kind Alfred, but I will admit...I do love this dress.”

“What do you think of our lovely lass, Master Bruce?” Alfred baited his silent employer. 

She smiled over at Bruce who still hadn’t seemed to have recovered completely enough to speak. “Cat got your tongue, Master Wayne?” Selina teased him at her own expense and was rewarded with Alfred’s hearty laugh.

Bruce shook his head at them, “Very droll.” He moved to kiss her, but Alfred intercepted and lead her away, “I’ll thank you not to muss up what is obviously a perfect product. It seems as though she has dressed for receiving other company, not for the ex-billionaires lounging in my kitchen.”

“Ouch,” Bruce pretended to be wounded at the dig. It felt good to be relaxed enough to experience humor in his life again.

Alfred smiled, “You best be on your way Miss. Fox will be landing in five hours.”

Selina smiled and collected her jacket and purse from the helpful host. “I will be there with bells on, Alfred.”

“Very good then.” He helped her into her jacket and opened the door. She waved goodbye to Bruce over Alfred’s shoulder as she pressed a kiss to Alfred’s cheek hugging him goodbye.

“Hey!” Bruce complained immediately, “What was that business about ‘mussing’ the final product?”

Alfred held the door for Selina as she cleared the threshold and descended the stairs. He then shut it securely behind her. “That rule doesn’t apply to me Master Wayne. I have a more refined touch when it comes to women.”

You are not helping my cause, Alfred.” Bruce gave Alfred a withering look.

“Not trying to sir,” Alfred chuckled.

Xxxxxx

A small circle of bubbles was the only disturbance on the endless smooth lines of tide. Several seconds later another even stronger eruption boiled up from the ocean depths. A diver broke the surface, his face obscured by the scuba mask and regulator. Kicking powerfully, the diver made his way against the current, swimming toward a yacht that drifted along slowed by the anchor sunk deep beneath it.

Alfred felt himself relax marginally at the sight of Bruce back at the surface. Alfred had come to terms with the constant apprehension that he carried as to Bruce’s safety when he was in harm’s way. It was the way of most parents he assumed; their child would always evoke their protective instincts regardless of age or ability. He smiled to himself at the thought of Batman needing the protection of a well-seasoned English butler. There were other things beyond the physical that needed protecting when it came to Bruce Wayne and Alfred was only too aware of them. The connection Bruce had forged with the world again was paramount on Alfred’s list for preservation. He had watched Bruce over those eight years draw further and further away from society and into isolation. He had no intention of allowing it to happen again.

Alfred approved of the change he had seen in Bruce since his return. Alfred saw a man with hope and happiness, he saw a Bruce Wayne that he had never known could exist. Alfred knew that a large part of the transformation was as a result of Selina Kyle. She had been a catalyst of change in Bruce. Alfred recognized the importance of ensuring it continued if only to strengthen the tenuous tether that bound Bruce to the world. Bruce was strong and capable. Alfred had no illusions to the contrary, but Bruce was also guarded and wary. He kept his battered heart under lock and key after his parents were murdered. Only Rachel and Alfred were left inside when the protective walls were erected by the young Bruce Wayne.

Alfred had thought Bruce’s circle of trust impenetrable until Fox and Gordon. Alfred eventually understood why they had both been allowed passage into the solitary fortress. Both had been touched in some way through Bruce’s parents. Fox through the business, Gordon through their untimely deaths. It was as if their relationships with Bruce’s parents had in some way anointed them, gave credence to their worth to Bruce. Their relationship with Bruce was born through history with his family in a way no other person could hope to achieve. Pennyworth, Fox and Gordon. These three men had keys to the most private chambers of trust belonging to Bruce Wayne, it was an honor that none of them had taken lightly.

Gordon had known him only as the Batman and that had been enough for both of the men. It in fact had been enough to alter the course and direction of an entire city, to alter the course of millions of lives for the better. Bruce had allowed Gordon deeper now, given him the trust that had been earned through years of service and partnership with one another. Bruce shared with him the identity of the man behind the mask. By doing this, Bruce acknowledged to Gordon that he had been a part of creating the Batman. Gordon had been the man that had shown Bruce the example of good in Gotham, the example of compassion and justice that Bruce had modeled himself after.

Fox had reached deeper still into Bruce Wayne’s fortress. He was the man behind the technology, a man that Thomas Wayne himself had relied on to guide the family business. Bruce gave him that same level of trust and Fox had proven countless times that he was deserving of the honor. He supported Bruce and helped to guide the Batman through both the technical and ethical convolution of his duty to justice.

Alfred had believed that he had access to all that was Bruce Wayne. He was the history of Bruce’s life, he was the keeper of his memory, the last true connection to Thomas and Martha. He had been there as a moral compass and adviser for Bruce since the day the child's mind could form a question. But now he realized that Selina Kyle had found something no one else knew even existed. She had accessed a part of Bruce that no one had ever seen. Alfred wondered if Bruce had even known that it was there; the side of himself that could still love...still hope… still believe in a happy ending.

Selina Kyle had come in uninvited, scaled his fortress walls, waltzed through the impenetrable barriers erected by Bruce Wayne and engaged his dual identity without hesitation. She had discovered in her journey a vault with a hidden chamber. Selina Kyle may not have been given the keys to Bruce Wayne’s heart, but she was a thief and she damn sure knew how to pick a lock.

Bruce handed up a coil of cord to Alfred which the English Gentleman took wordlessly. He waited another moment as Bruce slipped the tank off and then pulled it aboard, cradling it by the valve stem.

Bruce kicked hard with his finned feet and propelled himself onto the dive shelf aboard the forty-foot Bavaria Cruiser. Bruce had regretted not using the wetsuit as the water temperature had been cooler than he expected. The dive down hadn’t taken but half a tank of air, but his core temperature had cooled to a point his teeth were rattling and he was unable to stop the trembling of his muscles as they tried to warm themselves. The steady strong breeze across the ocean wasn’t helping as his bare skin prickled with goose bumps.

He fumbled with the release on the weight belt at his waist when he heard Alfred come up beside him. A heavy beach towel dropped down around his shoulder. Bruce wrapped up in it gratefully. “Thanks Alfred”

Alfred nodded and assisted the younger man in removing the weight belt and signaled that he should lift out a foot. Alfred assisted him in removing the dive fins his hand detecting the coolness of Bruce’s flesh. He pulled another towel over Bruce’s legs. “Look at the positive Master Wayne, you will not have to ice your knees now.”

Bruce laughed, “Thanks Alfred.”

“Here to serve, sir.” Alfred smiled at him, patting his shoulder as he leveraged himself off his knees with an assist from Bruce. Bruce watched the older man protectively as he carried the scuba rig across the deck and secured it to the dive locker. Alfred looked at home aboard the schooner in his tan Dockers, navy button down and matching canvas boat shoes.

Bruce got to his feet and finished drying his chest and back, taking care not to pull the cover off his knife wound until he was sure he wouldn’t have to reenter the water. Alfred shook his head at the new addition to Bruce’s scar collection. “Lucky for you the Missus fancies ruffians, Master Wayne.” Alfred looked on as Bruce continued to dry past his dripping navy blue board shorts.

Bruce smiled ruefully at himself as he observed the lace of scars across his chest, “They don’t seem to bother her.”

Alfred nodded, unsurprised by the revelation, “You two cut a fine figure together Master Wayne.” Alfred offered the compliment honestly as he took the coil of rope from the railing.

Bruce quirked a small smile at Alfred. “Does it bother you that she is a thief, Alfred?”

Alfred glanced over at Bruce and held up the rope, “You are about to become one yourself Master Wayne, I would refrain from hurling anymore stones in your glass house.”

Bruce smirked and nodded in agreement, “I have done my fair share of shady things in my day.”

Alfred nodded and started pulling the corded rope, “As have we all, Master Wayne.”

Bruce tossed aside the towels and joined Alfred when he saw the weight of the cargo begin to strain the older man. He took over hauling in the catch as Alfred coiled the wet rope behind him. The first of three watertight black metal cases broke the surface of the water and Bruce grabbed the handle and hauled it aboard. The container was completely devoid of any design or marking save for the blinking transponder beacon that flashed from the handle.

Bruce quickly retrieved the other cases and stored them below deck in the master cabin. He heard the slide of the retreating anchor and hurried up to the surface in case Alfred needed his assistance. Bruce smiled as Alfred handled the controls masterfully, spinning the boat full circle and set course toward the Strait of Bonifacio.

Bruce and Alfred had been tasked with recovering the items Selina had commissioned from Fox. Coming through customs with Catwoman gear wasn’t optional so they had agreed to this as the easiest avenue to smuggle in the supplies. The two large islands of Corsica and Sardinia jutted out of the Mediterranean sea and housed some of the most luxurious and unique accommodations available. Fox and Selina were going to ride the ferry out and meet them on the French side of Corsica. Bruce had suggested they meet here as he had wanted Selina to experience the unique destination.

xxxx

Their yacht was moored up on the private docks of the Hotel Santateresa while Alfred and Bruce waited on the café patio overlooking the water channel separating them from the Italian island of Sardinia. The white limestone cliffs were in stark contrast with the calm blue of the Mediterranean sea. The pillared rock had been undercut by years of erosion so the buildings set on the very lip of the precipice appeared precariously perched two hundred thirty feet above the ocean below. From the distance it seemed like a suspended city gleaming above the tumultuous ocean waiting below.

“What is our anticipated wait do you suppose, Sir?” Alfred questioned over his menu, debating on ordering an appetizer to tide them over. He was famished and Bruce was feeling his same anticipation to eat. He checked his watch, “The next ferry will be another hour and a half.” He picked up his phone and sent a text to Fox, _ETA?_

It immediately bounced back, _5 minutes._

Bruce glanced over at the waiter that was clearing a neighboring table and asked him in flawless French when the next ferry from the mainland was due to arrive.

Alfred grinned at the young man’s ability, knowing that it was born of hard nights laboring at the table practicing with the newly, and strategically hired _French_ downstairs maid. She had been more than willing to help Bruce with his language skills as it saved her from sweeping and dust mopping the huge expanse of wood floors.

At one point in her early employment she had looked up at Alfred thinking she had an ally against the established order and told him in French that the kid was mutilating the language like a butcher with an axe.

Alfred had patted Bruce’s shoulder when he looked questioningly up at him and told him that he was proud of him and that he was a superior lad to be putting in the additional effort to learn. He then looked at the maid and in his own flawless French informed her that she had just insulted the master of the house and that should she ever offer less than a respectful word to Master Wayne in the future, in French or English, she would be out of employment.

Like everything Bruce set his mind to, he became proficient. Bruce eventually worked his way through a German handyman, a Spanish gardener, and an Italian cook. Alfred wondered if they would run out of positions before Bruce’s passion for language was sated. It had been worth the strategic hiring if only to listen to the young man go from room to room in the house conversing with the team of employees in their native tongues.

After the incident with the French maid, Alfred had taught Bruce another important lesson—how to command respect and how to carry himself with authority and dignity, even at his young age. He re-enforced the understanding that if you valued yourself you will command the respect of those around you. Bruce learned that lesson well and carried himself with a slight air of formality that seemed to encourage a respectful handling from everyone he met. He inspired an intuitive response in people that made them aware that they had just met someone of importance, like a movie star or a politician or in reality one of the most powerful and wealthy men in the world.

Bruce slipped several bills to the waiter and then turned back to Alfred as he placed the phone down on the table. The waiter pocketed the money and pulled the white Lenin cloth over the table before dropping a reserved sign on the top, he repeated this on all of the surrounding tables.

Bruce stretched and then straightened the jacket of his suit. It was a favorite of Alfred’s, a Fioravanti Bespoke. A custom suit, blue grey glen check with a muted light stitching, complete with six button traditional vest and crisp white shirt and black tie. Alfred smiled, the kid did have taste. No one had to teach him that, he was born with it. Alfred was no slouch himself as he sported a dark chocolate suit from the same tailor with a rich brown tie and handkerchief, just a subtle shade lighter than the fabric of the jacket.

Bruce took a sip of his water, “The waiter said the next ferry is hours out, but Fox said they would be here in few minutes.”

Alfred smirked, “Knowing Fox, they might arrive in a spaceship, or a time machine. Perhaps they are already here?”

Bruce shook his head tolerantly at Alfred. He knew the old gentleman had both respect and frustration for Fox’s gadgets that had kept him alive over the years. In the distance he detected the sound of an approaching motor. Intrigued, Alfred slowly closed his menu, and looked at Bruce expectantly. Bruce shrugged, “I have no idea Alfred.” He sat back in the white wicker chair, waiting for whatever was about to birth the corner.

A streak of red pelted past the narrow channel that lead into the dock, skimming the top of the water as the elongated bow stretched in front of the passengers compartment. The speed boat took a wide turn, utilizing the open ocean to accommodate the momentum rather than slowing the motors. The boat crossed its own wake and went airborne for several seconds before thundering down on the surf, spraying water into towering sheets.

Bruce would find out later the specifics on the craft. It was in fact, a 41 Super Leggera and it was doing better than one hundred miles per hour when it rounded the island. The speedboat was the Lamborghini of the watercraft world—stylish, fast, and very expensive. The motor was deafeningly loud, the reverberation against the walls of the cliff brought diners out of their seats and to the railing to see the source.

The sound lessened as the craft rumbled into the pier, but it still growled like a caged tiger as it idled into the slip. Bruce smiled as he watched two people emerge from the boat. From his lofty perch it would have been impossible to identify them by their faces, but it could be no one else.

Fox and Selina released their safety harnesses and exited with the offered assistance of the crew. Standing on the pier, Selina straightened her dress and smoothed down her hair. Fox adjusted his light beige suit jacket and twisted his trademark bow tie back into place.

They looked at one another for a moment then erupted in laughter. Selina wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug and Lucius beamed as he returned the embrace. They made their way down the pier to the lift that would transport them to the top of the cliffs. They paused for a moment waiting for the operator to lower down the guard. The rail system that ascended the wall of granite was cut directly into the limestone and used tracks to charter guests to and from the hotel. The trip up took about eight minutes and since Lucius and Selina were the only passengers they continued their animated conversation about the boat for the duration of the ascent.

Bruce watched Selina as she waited to exit the lift and he again admired the dress she had modeled for him that morning. The cream fabric clung to her figure as the dark brown stripes that embellished it wound around her like an enticing web, cradling the curves of her body. The dress was cut high on her neck and was modest by Selina Kyle’s standards, but the illusion was still sexy and beautiful. She was a blend of bare, defined arms and incredibly long legs walking toward him in impossibly high heels. “Alfred, is it just me or is she completely incredible?” Bruce asked the question under his breath.

Alfred sipped from his iced tea and gave a sympathetic look at the love struck man to his side. “She is a showstopper Master Wayne.”

Her hair was blown out and curling around her bare arms as she tossed back her head, laughing at something Lucius had said. Alfred chuckled at the sight. Bruce had not exaggerated about Selina and Fox, they seemed to enjoy each other tremendously. As they walked down the ramp with their arms around each other’s waists laughing and talking excitedly Alfred commented on them. “Like you said Master Wayne, Fox and your Missus are peas in a pod.”

Selina looked up and she found him. Bruce saw the subtle change in her immediately. Her eyes softened and her smile shifted. She made him feel like she held a private secret that only he knew the truth of. She held his eyes for a long moment before she nudged Lucius and alerted him to their location. Lucius smiled and said something in her ear. Selina broke away from Bruce’s gaze and gave Fox a light shove. Lucius laughed heartily and Selina responded with an amused smirk.

Bruce and Alfred both stood as the pair approached. Fox guided Selina over to the table with a light hand at her back. He smiled at Alfred, relieved to see the pain gone from the man’s eyes. Alfred rounded the table and the two men extended their hands and shook hands firmly. “Lucius.”

“Alfred,” Fox responded the grin still firmly planted upon his face. Alfred kept his air of formality for only a few moments before pulling Fox into a strong embrace. Both men had been through the ringer the last time they saw each other and it was difficult not to get overwhelmed. Fox and Alfred separated and they watched Bruce and Selina for a moment.

As she walked up to him, Bruce found for the first time he wasn't hypnotized by her walk. This time it was her smile, her eyes. He wondered if she realized that she looked at him that way, if that look was reserved just for him? He hoped that it was. No other man should get to see the soft side of Selina Kyle. It was too important, too delicate to risk with just anybody.

Selina slipped her arms over his shoulder, letting them extend out behind him with her elbows resting on his shoulders her fingertips lightly touching each other. Bruce settled his hands at her narrow hips as he kissed her. He held himself back, only too aware of the public forum. When he broke away from her he looked at her a long moment and then gently kissed her cheek, “I’ve missed you.”

Selina tilted her head as she pulled back her arms and ran her hands over his shoulders and then down his arms. “Well, I got here as fast as I could.”

“I saw that you did.” They both looked down at the tethered speedboat and Selina grinned mischievously.

“Want to take it for a ride?”

Bruce smirked, “You know I do.”

Selina kissed him again on the cheek before turning her attention to Alfred. “How was your day at sea, Sir Alfred?”

Alfred smiled and nodded, “It was smooth sailing Miss. Your significant other brought in quite a haul.”

Fox nodded in approval, “Glad everything made it in one piece.”

Bruce slid a small white chair out for Selina and she accepted with a light smile. She took in the breathtaking view, glancing over at Bruce. She smiled realizing he and Fox were already launching into the state of the business. She returned her attention to the view and was surprised to feel Bruce’s hand on her wrist. Her own hand turned in response to his touch and he laced his fingers through hers and squeezed gently. Selina could not imagine a better place to be at this moment in time, as she listened to the voices beside her, she couldn’t imagine better company to keep.

Xxxxx

Three hours later they were all about to retreat to their respective rooms. Fox was starting to fade as the jet lag from the time change and long hours at the office began to catch up with him.

Alfred had been relieved that he wasn’t the only one that was exhausted from the day, he and Selina both were yawning and at one point she had stood up from the table and walked to the railing just to avoid nodding off. He had joined her and they stood there together for a long while as Lucius and Bruce discussed strategy involving Wayne enterprises. “Alfred?”

“Yes Miss?” He turned to her expectantly.

“What are you going to do after all this?” She continued to look out over the water below while she waited for his response.

Alfred rested his elbows on the railing and sighed, “I suppose that will be up to the wishes of Master Wayne. But I have found that retirement doesn’t quite suit me, not just yet anyways.”

Selina smiled softly at his response. “I know that will make Bruce very happy to hear, although I doubt you have to be employed in order to have a reason to stay in his life, Alfred.”

Alfred grunted, “As difficult as he is sometimes, I deserve to be compensated.”

Selina boosted herself up onto the thin round railing; sitting daintily she crossed her legs and balanced herself easily while they talked. Alfred glanced over at her and fought back the urge to reprimand her or at least put a hand of restraint on her to prevent her plunge to certain death. But after what he had witnessed on the patio of his villa he had no doubt that she was in control of herself.

He tried to remember what she had called the yoga maneuver he had seen.

_memory:_

_Selina had excused herself to the patio their second night in Italy to relax and meditate. Alfred had avoided the area to give her privacy, but when he noticed the patio empty he had started outside with a drink. He noticed her at the last second, balancing on the stone pillar at the corner of the patio. She was in a full handstand, still and unmoving on the three-foot square surface. She held the position for several long minutes. When she did finally move it was a controlled shift of her arms dropping herself down to balance on her forearms. She rolled a hip forward and extended a leg to touch in front of her face with the other leg extended straight above her body. Her display of control defied all notions of body mechanics that Alfred had ever known._

_Bruce had walked up beside him and for a moment Alfred wasn’t sure if he would be able to stop him from bursting out onto the patio. Fear of starling her and the possible result of doing so held them both in their places. Bruce had stood watching in tense silence as her second foot landed and she twisted up to stand steady upon the ledge._

_Bruce blew out a breath and looked over at Alfred. Alfred looked back at him in disbelief, “What part of robbing a bank demands she practice that particular maneuver three stories above the ground?”_

_Bruce had growled something before opening the door and accosting Selina. He received a tolerant smirk for his trouble as he lifted her off the pillar and deposited her safely on the patio._

x

“You don’t mind going back to Gotham? Leaving all of this behind?” Selina examined her fingernails nonchalantly as she considered Alfred’s decision to return to service as a Wayne employee.

Alfred glanced at her before returning his eyes to the ocean. “All of this will still be here when I choose to return to it. Don’t forget, Gotham has been my home for over forty years Ms. Kyle. I to care about the city, just not to the exclusion of my own welfare or that of Master Bruce.” Selina nodded that she understood. Alfred turned to face her fully, “What about you, young Miss? What happens to you after you break the bank?”

She shrugged, “Bruce gets his money back and I get the names on the accounts.” She smoothed her hands together and crossed her arms over her flat abdomen. “Gordon and I made a promise to each other to see this through to the last man. I intend to keep my word on that.”

Alfred offered an observation, “Master Bruce would likely be more pleased with handling the matter himself rather than leaving it to others to settle his scores.” He nodded in concession to Selina and Gordon’s agreement, “Now that he is back in the world of the living again, that is.”

Selina thought she understood Alfred’s concern and she wanted him to understand that it was not just revenge that motivated her. “This is something I have to do Alfred. I _want_ to finish this.” Selina looked deeply into Alfred’s blue eyes, “This is my forest fire, Alfred. My Rangoon.” She twisted and looked behind her into the distance filled with the blue of ocean and sky. “I will not spend my life looking back on this and living with regrets. I was a part of this mess, Alfred. I’ll be damned if I leave it for someone else to cleanup.”

Xxxxx

Selina slept fitfully. Her dreams ran the gauntlet between her father, Bane and Blackgate. She woke in a cold sweat, panting and panicking at the assault of memories. She couldn’t even console herself that they were just dreams. Her monsters were real, her past a nightmare, her future a promise of hellish damnation. She pushed off the covers and sat up dragging her legs to the side of the bed. She exhaled a tortured breath and wound her hands into the sweaty strands of her hair pulling it back into a harsh ponytail. The long dark strands flopped down onto the white sweat soaked muscle shirt she wore.

Bruce watched her quietly. She had been tossing all night and he had long since given up on sleep himself. Whatever the nature of her demons, they were in full possession of her dreams tonight. He had awoken her several times just to have her fall back into the hands of forces he was powerless to protect her from.

She took another deep breath and held it for a moment as she looked down at her bare toes. “How long you going to lay there pretending you’re asleep, Bruce?”

“How long before you tell me what’s eating at you Selina?” He responded with the same challenging monotone that she addressed him with.

Selina looked over her shoulder and snorted a small humorless laugh. “Same old story.” She reached for her watch on the nightstand and growled. It wasn’t even 2AM, way too early for a run. She fidgeted, needing to get rid of the anxiety that was building up in herself. She glanced around and contemplated a round of yoga, but there was no privacy and her concentration would suck...which would mean her balance would suck...which meant she would beat herself up about sucking... _insert infinite loop of self deprecation here_. “Ugh!’ She stood abruptly and stalked off to the bathroom.

Bruce watched her with a mix of concern, lust and frustration. He wanted to help her, but he was at a loss on how to.

She washed her face and brushed her teeth again as if repeating the night ritual would somehow allow her another chance at sleep. She glared at her reflection. If she was in Gotham she would suit up and go kick the shit out of somebody. There was never a shortage of scumbags in the neighborhood to serve as targets. She gripped the counter hard and tried to push back the anger and frustration that strummed through her body. She felt trapped, like her muscles would explode if they didn’t get to release their reserves.

 _Fuck it. I have got to run_. _Not jog...run...run like Satan himself is chasing me. Run until I collapse in exhaustion. Yeah_ _, that ought to do it._

She jerked open the door harder than she meant to and stalked across the room, she glanced over at the bed somewhat hopeful Bruce had fallen back to sleep. She didn’t feel like explaining herself. She registered that he wasn’t in bed the same instance she was captured from behind and lifted off her feet. The air whooshed out of her as the considerable strength of Bruce Wayne pressed her against him.

“Where do you think you are going?” Bruce’s voice was low and heavy like the Bat.

Selina was annoyed to no end, but was still trying to remain civil. “Let me go Bruce. I am in no mood for this.” That was as nice as Selina could get.

Bruce shook his head and held her tight against him. “No, I don’t think so. I have seen you like this a few times now and I’ve seen what you do to punish yourself. I’m not having that tonight Selina.” Selina’s eyes were coal-black when he looked into them and he tightened his grip on her wrists, pinning them incase her more primal side took hold.

“Bruce, let me go now.” Her voice was controlled, but Bruce was well aware that he was agitating nitroglycerin.

“Why do you run Selina? To burn off anger, relieve your frustrations, wear yourself out?” He was very aware of his own physical reactions to holding her like this. Never had a woman looked as sexy in a thread-bare white tank top and simple white bikini briefs than did Miss Selina Kyle.

She swallowed hard and answered, “Yes to all of that. Now let go so I can get busy doing it.”

Bruce remained where he was, but his grip on her wrists tightened and his mouth went to her neck. His teeth scraped down her neck and settled on her shoulder. Bruce closed his jaw harder than he normally would have, allowing his teeth to mark her. She inhaled with a surprised hiss. He whispered into her shoulder, “If you want to get worn out...to burn out your energy reserves...there are much better ways of doing it than by running, Ms. Kyle.

 

xxx

Selina glanced around the room and was surprised to see that Bruce was gone. She checked her watch and frowned at the late hour. She had completely overslept her run. _Guess he made good on his promise to wear me out_. She smiled at the memory. It beat the hell out of running, no doubt about it. She made herself get out of bed and walked through the hotel suite. No Bruce. He was probably with Alfred or Fox. She would stop by and find out their plans before heading out, she didn’t want them to wait on her. Selina had some ideas for a workout today that involved the steep cliffs and she intended to take her time enjoying it.

Selina threw on some comfortable clothes and pulled back her hair, clearing the room quickly with not much thought to her appearance. It was feast or famine with her, and today was going to be on the skinny side of fashion she decided. Selina paused outside Alfred’s door, her hand ready to knock when she heard voices approaching from the other side. She dropped her hand smiling as she waited for them to open the door. From the clarity of their voices they were right on the other side of the door.

“Alfred I understand your concerns, but you can put it to rest. I have the situation in hand. I have been in touch with the Treasury department and I have this entire thing under control. Interpol agents will intercept her after she downloads the information and the US State department will handle her from there.”

Selina froze, her eyes went wide and she felt her heart jump in her chest. Movement drew her eyes down to the door lever, as it turned and the door cracked opened.


	11. Chapter 11

Gordon's phone rang right as the food arrived to their table. He glanced at the caller ID, Detective Stephens. Gordon silenced the ring. It would wait. He smiled over at Meghan. She was all teeth as she grinned back at him, her nose crinkling in that adorable way of hers. Gordon couldn't help but chuckle. It was amazing to see how she had handled this entire thing, her resiliency was inspiring.

Gordon had more than been true to his word to stay with Meghan. They had been inseparable since Selina handed her over to him that terrible day. With Gotham disjointed and out of sorts it had been impossible to go through the customary custody proceedings with Meghan. Thousands were displaced and homeless, entire families were living in bombed-out buildings, shelters were overrun, hundreds remained unaccounted for. Given all of that, Gordon had considered no other alternative than for Meghan to remain in his care.

She stayed the first night in the hospital, where she spent more time in his arms than her bed. When the doctor signed her release the next day he pulled Gordon aside. "Should things be different I would keep her. Not for the physical aspects, but the emotional damage done." The doctor chanced a glance over at Meghan who was watching Gordon intently. "With Gotham like it is, the hospital is no place for her." The doctor asked directly. "Where will she be going? If you tell me county I will make room for her here."

Gordon looked over at Meghan, "She stays with me."

Meghan was the pet of the department. She had the run of the office and seemed to have detective Stephens as her personal servant. Gordon was eternally grateful that he had the foresight to sign off on starting an onsite daycare the previous year, as that had come in extremely helpful now that he had become a single parent. He decided to make it mandatory for all precincts to take part in the program going forward.

He had already contacted department legal services regarding the permanent placement of Meghan in his custody. They were quick to agree as the city structure was compromised and the normal proceedings hopelessly backlogged. Gordon didn't often flex his muscle or ask for consideration, but he did this time and he received it without guilt.

Meghan was with him by emergency court decree and the official proceedings were being fast tracked. All of it was fine by Gordon and judging from Meghan's demeanor, it was fine by her too.

Gordon reached over and captured a drop of red sauce off her chin with his napkin and Meghan cackled. The spaghetti was likely to be in her ears by the time she finished. Gordon's phone rang again. He sighed and looked at Meghan, "Your Uncle G is killing me." Meghan blinked at him with her impossibly large baby blues as she worked her fork into a giant spool of noodles. Gordon answered as he twined his own fork into a more manageable bite and handed it to her. She dropped her overloaded utensil and accepted the trade.

"Gordon," he answered his private line the same as he did his office line, the differentiation between the two had long since blurred into nonexistence. Gordon shook the noodles off her fork onto her plate, taking the liberty to cut them into bite sizes despite her protest that she liked them stringy.

"Commissioner Gordon."

Jim Gordon's hand hesitated and he straightened in his chair as he tried to identify the caller. "Yes this is Commissioner Gordon. Who is this?"

The line was silent for a moment and then the voice again, "Bruce Wayne."

Gordon sat back into the chair with a small thud his breath expelling out in a huff. Meghan watched him as she ate, trying her best to be quieter while he was on the phone. "Well, I must say this is a bit of a surprise Mr. Wayne." Gordon looked around the restaurant guiltily, like he was blowing Wayne's cover just by uttering his name. "What are the long distance rates when calling from the great beyond?"

Bruce laughed, "And you said I was the one that didn't watch much news."

Gordon wrinkled his brow realizing that he must have missed some major events. Honestly he had been out of pocket all day. He and Meghan had played a little hooky. He left work midmorning and they had gone to the Science museum and looked at the dinosaurs exhibit and then caught the new animated movie at the Omnidome. "Maybe you had better catch me up on things, Mr. Wayne." Gordon made this request cautiously.

"I think that is a good idea. Tomorrow night, 7:30. I will send a car for you."

Gordon smiled, "Nice to have you back."

"It's good to be back," Bruce replied before the line disconnected.

Gordon smiled as he returned the phone to the table. Meghan assumed that his smile was for her, so she lost her serious expression that she held while trying to be quiet and smiled broadly back at Gordon. The sauce was smeared over her cheeks and nose and she was oblivious to it all. Gordon patiently wiped it away to reveal the adorable face beneath the mess. He wondered if Bruce Wayne would mind when he was the one that showed up with a beautiful girl on his arm this time.

Driving home, Gordon both heard the news on Wayne's return from the radio as well as receiving a call from Stephens. Stephens read him the information from the Interpol fax. "Sounds like we got some work to do tonight." He glanced down at Meghan and she smiled back up. "Tell the boys to head to the house and we will get something going."

Meghan cackled, "Uncle G comin' over?" Her eyes glittered merrily.

Gordon acted mysterious, "Maybe..."

Meghan cheered and covered her eyes with her small hands. Gordon shook his head and laughed at her. She was the most amazing little girl,  and she filled a part of him that had been empty for so long. He knew that she felt the same about him. "We make a good team you and me," he stated to her proudly.

"Yup," she agreed and patted his hand.

Xxx Next day Xxx

Bruce looked out the window of the Wayne Enterprise Gulfstream G550 as it landed at the Gotham International Airport. The airport was overrun with press, police and cheering citizens. Flashes popped all around the crowd of spectators as the plane taxied to the most remote runway. His green eyes were unreadable as he exited from the plane and descended the stairs to the tarmac below. Alfred was waiting dutifully beside a silver Rolls with the door standing open. He was wearing his dark navy formal with tails, looking every bit the dapper butler one would expect for Bruce Wayne.

Local news choppers hovered in the distance held at bay only by the no fly zone surrounding the airport. After the news had broken that Bruce Wayne had survived the terrorist attacks in Gotham and was abroad in Italy, the international media had exploded the news across the globe. His partnership with the US Department of Treasury, Department of Homeland Security along with the newly formed TTC terrorist task force commission had already brought to justice several international players responsible for the financing of the terrorist attacks on Gotham. The plundered wealth had been returned to owner of Wayne Enterprises and Bruce Wayne was the name on everyone lips. The stock in WEI had risen fifty points and split nearly overnight.

Bruce straightened his jacket and tugged at the cuffs of his charcoal grey suit as he came up beside Alfred. "Agent Roundtree," Bruce nodded at the woman that had followed him off the plane, "If you don't mind, I will be taking my leave of you." He did not bother to offer an apology or explanation to the woman. Allowing her passage over on the aircraft had been inconvenience enough.

She forced a smile, tossing her long blonde hair behind her, "Mr. Wayne, I have be assigned to you for your own protection." She had spent the past three days shadowing the secretive, Bruce Wayne. She was a woman used to receiving her share of male accommodation and she had received none from Bruce Wayne. He was polite but obviously put out by her presence. That was a damn shame she decided, as she could get used to the type of lifestyle he led. As much as she liked the action of being a treasury agent, she would not have hesitated to risk her career for a run at Bruce Wayne. She gave Wayne's driver a once over and dismissed him. It was now or never, so she played her card, "Mr. Wayne, there are more reasons than just security to want a woman like me around." She slipped a finger down the length of his maroon tie and flashed a glimpse of thigh through the long slit of her red skirt.

Bruce looked at her in moderate annoyance as he pulled the fabric free from her fingertips. "If you don't mind Agent, that's Japanese sea silk." His condescending tone was unmistakable as was his disinterest.

Her smile faltered as she attempted to recover. "Mr. Wayne, I would suggest that you reconsider our offer of protection. There could still be associates of Bane's with their sights set on you."

Bruce looked at her and laughed. "You might do better in remembering who it was that gave your team their only arrests associated with Bane. Hint, it is the same person that took you out personally, before flipping over one of the most secure banking facilities in the world." The pride in Selina's accomplishment was unmistakable. He leaned forward with a self-satisfied smirk, "The largest heist in banking history... Eighteen billion dollars...gone." He snapped his fingers in front of her face, "Right in the middle of business hours on casual Friday. With your organization knowing that she was coming, she was still able to take it." He smiled with no humor in his eyes. "And she used your identification to do it, Ms. Roundtree. So you must understand my hesitation to settle for you when I have the alternative of a woman like Selina Kyle to provide for my security."

The agent sneered back her lip. "I've done the research on your associate, Mr. Wayne. Are you sure it's wise for a man like you to be doing business with a woman that is known for being a liar and a manipulator?"

Bruce shook his head, "No, it isn't. That's why I must bid _you_ good day." He stepped into the back of the sleek vehicle and Alfred closed the door between him and the infuriated Treasury agent. Walking smartly around the vehicle Alfred took his place behind the wheel. He looked in the mirror; Bruce did not meet his eyes, instead the younger man was staring icily out the window at the clamoring crowd.

"Master Wayne, good to see you again. Will it be home or office?"

Bruce nodded his greeting to Alfred. It seemed like ages had passed in the days since they parted in Italy. "Office Alfred, via the safe house downtown."

Alfred nodded his head and did not question the whys. He knew that Selina and Bruce had stayed there in the aftermath of their adventure. Bruce was looking for answers and he was not going to rest until he had them. Pulling past the throngs of people, Bruce did not acknowledge the cheers from the crowd as Alfred navigated the tight channel. GPD held back the crowd and allowed them uninterrupted passage.

Bruce loosened his tie and leaned his head back against the seat. _How long since I last slept? At least thirty-six hours and counting_. He had been working nonstop to bring in the events of the past week to a positive end. His reserves were spent, and he found that he could not bring himself to face the savagery of Gotham's recovery right now. He just did not have the energy for it. He shut his eyes against the struggling city and trusted Alfred to navigate him through.

Alfred parked the vehicle at the curb. Bruce was opening his door before the momentum of the vehicle stopped." I will only be a few minutes."

"Yes, Master Wayne." Alfred watched Bruce with concern as he strode into the garage. Tapping the steering wheel, Alfred considered what more he could possibly do to assist Bruce.

Bruce's eyes flicked over the vehicles in the garage. The recovery effort here was obvious as the demolished vehicles had been towed and the trash and debris cleared. He verified that no one was present before accessing the secret passage into the elevator.

He squinted against the air that assaulted his red rimmed eyes as the lift powered up to the penthouse. Fox had told him that he came by here and that there was no sign of her. But he refused to let it go. Bruce knew it was the one place she would return to. She had left some valuable items in his keeping.

Bruce jabbed the code in with sharp thrusts of his finger. The door popped obediently open and he felt the loss of her again. 'Are you waiting to be carried across the threshold?' He could hear himself saying it, heard her needle back at him. The anger at the loss of her threatened to eclipse his patience. He prowled the apartment trying to look over the conditions with a detailed eye.

She had been here. He knew it...felt it. He paused in the bathroom and let his eyes wander over the soaps and lotions. He had been the last out that morning. He looked closely, nothing disturbed. He scowled as he paced like an angry wolf from room to room. Stopping finally at the hall and the vault, he activated the code reader. He stepped inside and looked immediately for the cases of money. They were there, but her jewelry was gone. He had known she had used the vault to store her jewelry. The truth was there was not much Selina Kyle could slip past him, he was too caught up in watching her, trying to understand and anticipate her actions.

He had looked through her stash and was amazed by some of the incredible pieces she had liberated. He had seen her sketch book as well, but he had respected her wishes and not opened it. He looked at the folder lying on the floor of the room. She had left it behind intentionally; Bruce knew there was meaning in that. Either she did not want to remember him or she wanted him to never forget her. He knelt down and picked it up, pressing his lips together tightly he opened the first page. It was a sketch of Gordon, looking across the bay, city at his back. Bruce let out a sound that was mix of anger, frustration and pain at the sight of it.

He stood abruptly, closing the folder on the drawings. "Goddamn it Selina!" Bruce slammed his fist into the wall as he fought back the emotion. A few minutes later Alfred was opening the car door for him.

The English gentleman noticed the blood on his knuckles and elected not to comment. Alfred had spent years with Bruce and he knew how badly the man was hurting. As he pulled away from the curb Alfred pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and held it over his shoulder. Bruce took it without speaking.

Bruce had been beside himself with concern and worry for Selina since her disappearance. Disbelief and betrayal followed when Fox found the funds had been transferred. Anger seemed the natural next step for him. Alfred looked at him for a quick second in the mirror and was not surprised that anger wasn't what he detected, it was sadness. Disappointment and loss that Selina had made the choice to abandon him.

Xxxx

Bruce showered and reflected over the day.

The press junket to announce the takeover of Hammer Industries weapons manufacturing had been huge. The subsequent commitment of Wayne Enterprise to the protection of American security interests at home and abroad came from him personally after the public announcement was made. By ensuring weapons manufacturing remained housed on American soil, Wayne Enterprises had once again stood above all others in preserving American manufacturing and hopefully the security of the nation.

The press ate up the idea that Bruce Wayne, the prince of Gotham, stood strong and proud after the dramatic attempts to bring him down; that he had taken the fight to the doorsteps of those involved in the attacks on Gotham and was bringing them to justice. He had pinned hides on his wall only a few days after the revelations from Monaco. If there was any one person that Americans felt comfortable with at the helm of strategic defense at that moment in time, it was Bruce Wayne. The announcement of the absorption of Hammer Industries and the subsequent creation of a new Weapons Division of Wayne Enterprises was met with overwhelming public support.

He smirked at the real coup de grâce, the clean energy initiative. His clean energy program was merging with Stark Industries arc reactor technology. Their union was perfection. The marriage of two of the world's most powerful businesses and influential men with two of the most progressive and inventive energy programs the world had ever seen; united under one collective goal, to offer the country a source of clean, self-sustaining affordable energy. This was where his real leverage to bargain had come from.

When he presented this to the Department of Energy two days earlier he had received a call directly from the Vice President himself. Forty-five minutes later the Congressman had dropped all charges against Selina Kyle. Two hours later a CIA agent arrived at Alfred's villa with documents that identified Selina Kyle as an employee of Wayne Enterprises, a paid consultant for his internal security division. It had a back story that included the Congressman in a partnership to expose the terrorist cell before the attacks began on Gotham.

It was a far more heroic portrayal than the philandering politician deserved, but Bruce could stomach it. He had only asked for one alteration, Selina to be named the head of his personal security detail and the head of the newly formed Security Consulting Division of Wayne Enterprises. So new in fact, that the division had yet to be named and the only employee had yet to be informed that they were hired.

xxxx

Bruce sat heavily on the tile ledge and dropped his head under the sheet of water that poured off the custom waterfall in his shower. He let the water beat down on his back as his tried to refocus his tired mind. He needed to get it in gear, Gordon would be arriving soon. His mind drifted back to the incomparable Pepper Potts.

xxx

It had shocked the world when Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts took the podium after Wayne's press conference concluded. She announced their joint energy initiative and it brought down the house. The press went wild and had to be wrangled by security so that Pepper could continue with the details.

Hell, it had shocked Bruce when Fox suggested it a few days prior. It was obviously something that Stark had been working towards for some time and of all things, the tragedy in Gotham was the catalyst that drove their partnership.

Bruce had exited the podium and stepped behind the heavy blue curtain and there she was, Pepper Potts standing tall and powerful in her heels and form-fitting navy skirt suit. He thought immediately of another powerful woman as Pepper kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Welcome Home, Bruce."

Bruce had given her a long hug. "Tony doesn't understand how truly lucky he is to have you in his life, Ms. Potts."

Pepper had blushed and squeezed him reassuringly. "You are pretty great yourself, Mr. Wayne." She wiped her lipstick off his cheek. "You sure you don't mind me taking the lead on this?"

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure, Pepper. I want your name on this. You and Fox bring the creditability this project deserves." Bruce held her gently at arm's length, regarding her with open trust and admiration. "I can't thank you enough for what you did. Without your backing I never would have been able to make the Hammer acquisition."

She interrupted him with a lift of her chin, her own eyes misting at the memory of what Bruce had done for her. She shook her head that he should stop talking. Her strawberry blonde hair fell in soft waves over her tailored navy jacket. "Bruce, you were there when Tony damn near bankrupted himself and you never even took a thank you in return. You kept the pressure on the military to keep searching for him when everyone else had given up." She pressed her lips tightly before continuing. "Tony had never done anything to deserve that type of consideration from you." She wiped at her eyes, ensuring her makeup was not running before taking the public stage. "Besides, it felt good to take down Hammer. I owed him one." She smiled tightly.

Bruce smiled back understanding the situation completely, "Spoken like a true CEO, Ms. Potts. As for Tony, we eccentric billionaires have to stick together, there are so few of us." Bruce stopped himself knowing Pepper deserved better from him. He looked at her seriously, "I knew there was more to Anthony than met the eye, and he proved me right. Now with his Arc technology powering my conversion device...well...Pepper, it's just perfect."

Both Pepper and Fox knew that their respective employers had hit dead ends on their energy projects. Tony had never managed to get the conversion device to amplify the energy feed to do more than power the Stark Tower. Wayne's own very public crisis with the power generating device and it's unfortunate nuclear capabilities had made the companies a perfect match. Getting the proud men at the helms of their empires to agree had been the only hitch in an otherwise flawless plan.

Tony had resented Bruce his entire life, more so when he discovered it was Wayne that had stepped up to assist Pepper and bail Stark Industries out of its financial distress. Bruce did not respect Stark's erratic approach to business and respected even less his personal choices, not the least of which was how Stark treated Pepper. An opinion Bruce had voiced to him personally on numerous occasions. On one such occasion Bruce illustrated the level of his discontent at Stark's treatment by delivering what he considered a long overdue ass kicking when Tony had drunkenly insulted Pepper at a Wayne Enterprise fund raiser.

Tony was sure Wayne had a thing for his beautiful assistant, and now that he was engaged to her, Stark had made sure that neither ever had a reason to meet, until now. Luckily between the even rational minds of Fox and Potts the bonds were forged between the two power house companies and the deal was done.

Fox stood by the podium waiting for Pepper. She smiled at Bruce and squeezed his hand again. "Tony sent a message. He wanted me to extend his regrets for not being here to assist you in Gotham." Her eyes darkened, "He was...indisposed." She cleared her throat, "He also said to apologize about the landing?" She hesitated, "I'm not sure what that means, but he said to tell you no hard feelings."

His brows furrowed as he watched Pepper walk up and join Fox at the podium. His mind worked on the cryptic message even as he pushed his way past the press hounding him to the secure elevator that lead up to the administrative levels of Wayne enterprises. _No hard feelings._ He had said that to Tony right before landing an uppercut that laid Stark out on the balcony that night of the fund raiser. Bruce rubbed at his brow as his mind turned over the possible connection...

He stepped off the elevator and glanced over at Fox's office. Jessica's desk now occupied by Davis Mitchell, an older gentleman that had been with the company well over twenty years. He had been happy to receive the assignment to Fox that would  have him seeing to the CEO's day-to-day administrative needs.

Fox had finally smoked out Selina's rat, and he was none too pleased to find out it had been his own assistant, Jessica. After that revelation, Bruce had taken the opportunity to spin things and involve the government. The Treasury department had been saddled with the responsibility of apprehending Jessica as she had violated federal trade laws by utilizing her inside knowledge to leverage the false trades that had crippled the company. Fox had planted some information which she promptly sold, but then she had disappeared before agents were able to close the net on her. Her body was recovered several days later when an anonymous tip that both she and one of the contacts revealed by the Monaco job, were attempting to fly out of Barcelona on a private aircraft.

Centro Nacional de Inteligencia. the Spanish equivalent of the CIA. responded to the tip and having verified the lead forced the aircraft down. All aboard were killed on impact. Interpol was assisting in investigating the withdrawal of four million dollars from Jessica's Gotham based banks accounts shortly before the crash. The funds were transferred to a ghost account in Lisbon. Neither the informant nor the account holder had been identified. A voice modulating system had been utilized to make the call. Fox obtained the digital recordings and was working on decoding the program. Bruce was sure when Fox finally deciphered the scramble that the voice of the caller would sound familiar to them both.

xxx

Bruce caught himself as he fell asleep under the water, exhaustion was plain on his face as he sat back against the tile wall, rubbing absently at the braceless knee. _I could use another drink._ He should have brought up the single malt from his office. He was never a man to turn to alcohol, but he was starting to see the comfort men sought from it. Better to be numb than face this much pain. He did not acknowledge that the pain he was numbing had nothing to do with his battered body.

xxx

Bruce had entered his office after the press conference immediately dimming the oppressively bright lights. He rounded the desk and dropped down onto the heavy leather chair that loomed behind the cherry wood desk. He exhaled a breath hoping Selina had not gotten herself in so deep that he couldn't still help her.

Bruce had no doubt that it was Selina behind the theft of funds from Jessica's account. It would be right up her alley to take the opportunity to flaunt her superiority while exposing the Wayne Enterprise tradtor. The irony that the money paid to infiltrate Bruce's organization would end up in Selina's hands was not lost on him. He imagined Selina's delight in making the call to authorities, burning down Jessica while she herself embezzled Jessica's ill-gotten gains. It would be poetic justice to a woman like Selina.

 _Smooth criminal_. Bruce snorted a laugh. Selina was not a believer in fighting fair. She did not observe Marquess of Queensberry rules. She would kick you while you were down and smile while she did it.

xxx

He found himself trying not to get his hopes up that she was even in Gotham City. He checked his watch, wiping the water beads from the crystal. He ensured that he still had time before meeting Gordon. If anyone knew for sure about Selina now it would be the Commissioner. Neither Fox nor Bruce had heard a word out of her since that day in Corsica. A fact neither of them were happy about. Fox had asked Bruce repeatedly if there was something that had happened between them that would have caused her to bolt. Bruce had demanded the same answers from Fox and Alfred.

Bruce replayed everything in his head and came up with nothing. He had gone to great lengths to keep his involvement with the treasury department free and clear of Selina. They had obviously made their presence known at the bank because Selina caught them napping and snatched up the lot of them as they staked out the building.

When Bruce discovered the agents had set up on her at the bank he had lost it. The Interpol officers had to disrupt the conflict when it got physical between Bruce and one of the US Treasury agents. "What the hell did you hope to gain from doing that?" Bruce's voice boomed as he looked at the battered Treasury agents. "You had one job. Wait for the money transfer and account upload. What could you possibly gain from staking out the bank?"

Selina had worked the two men and the female officer over pretty well. Busted faces and hurt pride were the most prevalent injuries from her assault. Dehydration was a close third as the group had been tied up for seven hours in their surveillance van before local law enforcement was tipped to their location.

The lead investigator bowed up, he was an overweight balding Bostonian from the sound of his accent. "There were inherent security risks involved in letting your associate enter the bank. We worked a deal with the administrators in return for the public apprehension of your thief; they agreed to allow for the funds transfer. They weren't willing to release the identities of the account holders, but that was a concession we were willing to make. The other unacceptable alternative being Uncle Sam paying off on your insured trades." He glared at Bruce. "You would have gotten your money. In the end it's about the money for guys like you, isn't it Mr. Wayne?" The agent smiled smugly, "Don't make the mistake of personalizing this. You would have got what was coming to you and your girl would have taken the fall. She was expendable or you would have never let her go in. Am I right?"

Bruce snarled as he snatched up the man and dragged him across the table that separated them, intending to show the agent the true nature of being assaulted. Several Interpol agents dove in and separated them before it escalated further. "Need I remind you that _my girl_ just gifted you incompetent morons the financiers that funded the terrorists attacks on Gotham."

The head of the bank trustees eventually calmed the situation having realized quickly the importance of playing ball with a man as powerful as Bruce Wayne. He also realized the importance of appearances, once word leaked that their security had been so completely compromised they would be in financial ruins. Wayne had made it abundantly clear that he was ready to go public with absolutely everything. The resurrection of Bruce Wayne in the international media would give him a forum like no other in which he could make good on his threat. The Bank manager, a financial powerhouse in his own right, eventually gave into the pressure leveraged by Bruce Wayne.

Bruce had almost smiled when he heard Fox later describe the events to Alfred, "The head of the most influential and powerful international banks in the world took one look at Mr. Wayne and folded like an origami swan."

Fox had been happy to share with the security officers the holes that Selina had found during her extensive entry prep. Initially the men had voiced doubt that entry could be made in the manner Fox described, but when they saw the video of Selina navigating into the computer room after gaining access to the security office they accepted the information as fact.

With the assistance of the Federal Agent's ID Selina had gained an escort to the internal security center where she took down the two apathetic guards. She then bypassed the peripheral security measures of the server room. She deactivated the security feed and looped the video to the external monitors. She had left the actual video recording and the IT representative had eventually discovered it. Via video, Selina Kyle took them all to school: Catburglarly 101.

She pressed up through the ceiling tiles and after a short venture through the ducts, the video showed fingers slip through the small separations in the vent. The grate then disappeared into the ceiling. A long slender arm and shoulder snaked through, followed by a long tumble of hair. She smiled as she squeezed and slithered her other shoulder and breasts through the impossibly tight opening. Her narrow waist and hips moved through without effort. She held herself off the wall using her abdominal strength to bow her body back in a beautiful arc while she worked to bypass the pressure sensitive countermeasures in the security grid by the door.

xxx

Bruce smoothed back his hair as he worked the soap through the dark waves. He made a mental note to show the video to Alfred. The position she was in reminded him of the yoga pose Alfred had commented about.   _What reason did a thief have to practice that maneuver...indeed._ Bruce choked off a small pained sound as he fought the emotion away and the memories took him deeper.

xxx

Bruce had watched impassively along with the security personnel and Fox as the video showed Selina then twist gracefully down to the floor. She dropped her second leg only after the first was nearly vertical to the floor. When she landed she adjusted her back with a small twist and then smirked up at the camera and blew a kiss. She made absolutely no attempt to hide her identity. The entry was not made in costume either; she was in jeans, boots and a black turtleneck. Bruce knew that meant only one thing, she did not give a damn who knew it was her. She had the clean slate, so why bother with formalities. She could run the program and disappear.

Why…? It was the why that was eating him alive. Why had she left him? After all they had become to one another...why?

Bruce had sat at his desk pressing a hand to his eyes as he asked himself that question for the countless time. He reached behind him and poured himself three fingers of single malt scotch. He swirled the tumbler, staring down into the depths of the amber liquid as he remembered the details of the surveillance feed after she had bypassed the security and entered the computer room.

He had shifted uncomfortably as he watched Selina's sexy walk across the barren landscape of the server room. Her hips swaying dangerously, Bruce lamented for a moment that she was not in the beautiful Catsuit designed by Fox. When the Interpol agent gave a low grunt of approval to her display Bruce narrowly contained his response, he was inspired to restraint by the calming hand Fox had placed on his shoulder.

She had quickly found her target and went to work on embedding the worm program. She made short work of the installation, but the program itself took several minutes to upload. Selina had stood and stretched her arms over her head as she limbered her spine. Bruce watched her gently rub her ribcage, and his stomach twisted at his intimate knowledge of why.

Selina wandered over to an abandoned desk. The IT team had left early for the weekend, a common practice that Selina was very aware of through her observations of the bank. She picked around at the items on the cluttered desk as she killed time. Her casual behavior had infuriated the entire room with exception of Fox and Bruce who shared amused looks mirrored covertly by the IT tech that was running the video.

Selina had nerves of steel and she proved it now. Her hands lit on a small stress toy, she squeezed it several times smiling as the ears and eyes bugged out. She gently replaced it where it came from. She looked at several photos on the desk and eventually leaned across the surface flipping through a desk calendar. She tore off the pages for the weekend and left the calendar reflecting the next work day. The tech pointed out what she had done. He gave a side-glance to Bruce and tried to control his own smile with only marginal success.

She had sat on the corner of the cluttered desk looking at the calendar sheets. She had smiled and then laughed at one before discarding them in the trash. She picked up the square container and flipped through several more as she waited.

Bruce looked up at Fox, "I wonder what was so funny?"

The tech had been curious about it as well. He had retrieved the sheets from the trash and slid them over to Bruce. "My calendar, Garfield and Frank and Earnest." He spoke perfect English and was obviously familiar with the cultural references, most likely educated in the US Bruce surmised. He looked at the cartoons and realized that Selina could not only speak French, but she could read it.

xxx

Bruce felt his lips twitch now as he drifted in the shower, remembering the reason for her amusement. The cartoon featured a vegetarian facing down a village of cannibals. He identified himself as a vegetarian, the cannibals identified themselves as humanitarians. He felt the piercing loss of her then, the paralyzing absence of her from his life. Her humor, her wit, her love. It was all gone from him and he did not understand why. He stood and slammed off the water before he got too deep into her memory. He did not want to see the image of her again, earlier in the office was enough.

xxx

He must have drifted off to sleep in his chair because she was with him again. Selina came to him, closing the distance across his office, walking toward him in the same short red dress that the Treasury agent had worn that morning. The fabric slid up her thighs as she moved, she wore the dress the way it should be worn, she was effortlessly sexy. He exhaled and felt the familiar tightening of his chest. He flinched as she slung a leg over his, the dress riding up displaying her black stockings and garters.

Bruce was not fooled, it wasn't her...her eyes weren't Selina's. This woman looked at him with cold calculation, she was mistrusting and angry. Her red lips set in a disappointing line. The image of her disintegrated as he came awake at the knocking at his door.

"Mr. Wayne," it was Fox, looking happy and excited. Bruce leaned forward and rested his elbows on the leather desk pad. "Things go well, Lucius?"

Fox worked his jaw as he tried to find the right words. "Pepper is amazing. It went flawlessly." He walked slowly over to take a chair in front of the desk. "I'm sorry I woke you, I know you haven't been sleeping."

"Just as well," Bruce rubbed his eyes and took another drink.

Fox loosened his tie and unbuttoned his jacket. "I have a team of investigators combing the city for her, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce looked at the older man, grateful for the effort. "I have Blake working on it as well. But she's too damn good, Lucius."

Fox smiled in spite of the situation. "Unfortunately you are right about that." He clasped his hands in front of himself resting them on his pooch of a stomach. "I miss her terribly. I can only imagine how you must feel."

Bruce swallowed hard and nodded. "I just don't get it." Bruce stopped, not liking that his voice wavered. He was not a man of weakness, but Selina Kyle was nothing if not his Achilles heel.

Fox nodded, "Nor do I. Maybe you can shed some light on the subject. I received a video feed from the hotel this afternoon. I had them compile all the video imagery of Selina from our stay." He looked at Bruce expectantly, "There was an event I would like you to explain, if you would."

Bruce lifted his head; the accusation was obvious in Lucius' voice. Bruce narrowed his eyes and felt the anger welling in him. "If you are implying that I had anything to do with her leaving... you are wrong."

Fox watched the man carefully, "I'm not implying anything, Mr. Wayne. I am saying it outright." He stood and gestured to the hidden door. "Shall we?"

Bruce stood abruptly; the chair slammed into the library shelf behind the desk. His eyes were hard and dangerous as he tried to comprehend what Lucius was saying. "Fox...watch yourself," Bruce warned the older gentleman. There were things he gave ground to when it came to Fox and Alfred, this wasn't one of them...Selina wasn't one of them.

Fox looked at him unsurprised by the emotional response, "See for yourself and then you can explain to me what happened."

Bruce stalked into the elevator and met the eyes of his CEO. He was shocked to see anger there. In all the years he had known Lucius he had never seen the stoic man angry. "Show me," Bruce demanded.

They traveled the distance to the basement home of Applied Sciences without another word to each other.

Bruce and Fox walked purposefully side by side across the vast expanse of the research center. Lucius stopped at his desk and opened up his laptop. A large screen monitor dropped obediently from the ceiling and powered on. He accessed the file and pressed play. Bruce focused all of his attention on the screen. It was Fox and Selina walking up the peer. He saw her smile as she laughed and it destroyed him. His hands flexed into fists and he glared over his shoulder. "Enough. Just show me what we came for."

Fox obliged, rolling the footage in the hall of Bruce and Selina's floor. He restarted the video and it was Bruce and Selina walking to their room the evening they arrived. Her arm was around Bruce's waist, her head tilted against his shoulder. He shut his eyes against the image feeling her hand on his cheek, trailing against his neck as he opened the door for her. He did not need to see this to know that nothing he had done had made her leave.

He had worshipped her that night. He spent the night watching over her as she fought through her nightmares. He had made love to her before they slept, then again when she awoke from her dreams. He had been inside her, above her, beneath her. He had spun her out until her only thoughts were of him. He had fucked her until she was panting his name in that breathless whisper of hers. God…the sound of his name from her lips had been intoxicating. She had begged him not to stop, never to stop touching her...wanting her. Jesus She had been close, so close to telling him that she loved him. He had wanted her to say it first...needed her to tell him the truth of how she felt.

He had pressed her against the cool wall of the suite, held her up with the weight of his body as her sweat slicked skin slid against him. He had told her that he never wanted another woman like her. That she was all he would ever desire, that she was his life. He had driven her to climax several times and refused to let himself join her. He had slipped between her legs and devoured her like a starving man, the taste of them together filling his senses until they were both delirious with wanton need.

Bruce snapped back as he watched the video of her leaving the suite the morning she disappeared. He had not seen her since the moment he slipped his arm from under her sleeping head. He had kissed her lightly not wanting to disturb her from the sleep that had finally found her. Now he wished for the countless time that he had stayed, it might have all been different if he had just stayed.

The hall video was grainy black and white. She was in her running shoes; even though the video did not show it he knew the orange and yellow stripping was the only color against the black nylon windpants and jacket. The video cut out and resumed with her walking away from the stationary lens toward Alfred's room.

Bruce stepped closer to the monitor as Lucius leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, watching Bruce closely.

 _She hadn't come to Alfred's...I was there that morning._ He watched her pause in the hall, her hand falling away from the door. Then she was running down the hall, slipping into the alcove with the ice and vending machines. Bruce stepped closer still, his entire body vibrated. "What the hell...?" His mind raced as he heard his voice repeating the question. "What the hell...?"

The video showed himself and Alfred walking past on the way to meet Lucius. Several minutes passed, Bruce glanced over at Fox. "Where…?"

Fox pointed up at the screen, "Wait for it." Another few minutes passed and Bruce watched Selina emerge from the small alcove. He was literally inches away from the monitor as his eyes strained to capture every detail. She looked so lost, she braced against the wall as she looked after them. He watched as her legs gave and she slid down the wall. She dropped into a ball her arms wrapping around her knees as her face dipped beneath her folded arms. Bruce felt himself go numb. "What the hell happened?"

Fox remained impassive as he let Bruce process the events. Several minutes later Selina stood and walked purposefully down the hall and reentered their room. "Twenty-three seconds," Lucius commented. Bruce gave him a pained look not comprehending the statement. Fox had rested his chin in his hand and pointed with the other as Selina emerged from the room carrying a small bag across her shoulder. "Twenty-three seconds from the moment she entered the room until she was on the stairwell."

The screen went dead. Bruce looked back at Lucius. "Where is the rest of it?"

Fox shook his head. "There is no more." He stopped the video. "It seems like when your Ms. Kyle decides to go off the grid that is exactly what she does." He lifted his hands. "She just disappeared. That's what the delay was from, the hotel security. They were trying to find the edit of her leaving the building. There is also no security footage of her traveling down the lift, nor riding the ferry off the island." Fox again lifted his hands. "She just disappeared. It's so impossible that the hotel manager was convinced there was tampering with the video feed."

"Was there?" Bruce demanded.

Fox shook his head. "Not that could be determined. But then again, this is Selina we are talking about." He regarded Bruce with something less than compassion, "What I want to know is, what elicited that reaction from her, Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce blinked, "What? What do you think I did...that I said..."

Fox stood, his hands resting lightly on the desk top, "You tell me Mr. Wayne."

Bruce's mind reeled. What had he and Alfred been discussing? For a frantic moment he couldn't remember. "Jessica. We were talking about Jessica. Alfred was concerned that Jessica was aware of our connection to Batman, that she would use it against me." Bruce ran a desperate hand through his dark hair and he paced a short path on front of the desk. "I told him that the minute you figured it out we saw our window to leverage her to deal for Selina." He replayed the conversation. He thought about his words and the pieces clicked. "I told him we were working both sides on her. That it was a set up with the government and that as soon as the information was downloaded agents would pick her up."

Fox swallowed as Bruce staggered to a stop. "Oh Jesus…Lucius. She thought I meant her. The information you planted to trap Jessica. Selina must have..."

Fox approached him slowly, regret clear in his face, "Bruce, you couldn't have known."

Bruce broke, he grasped Lucius with desperate hands, "She thinks I betrayed her...that I lied to her…used her. "

Fox grabbed him and settled him into the worn chair. "I understand Mr. Wayne. Let me think. Let me figure this out."

"I have to find her Lucius. I have to find her before she uses the clean slate." Bruce forced away the emotion and focused. He did not have much time. He had to act or face losing her for good.

xxx present xxx

He sat wrapped in a towel on the corner of his bed in his plush Westside penthouse, head bowed down, hair dripping on the flawless wood floor. He heard Alfred open the door and did not react. A warm towel was laid across his shoulders. "Master Wayne. The Gordons have arrived."

Bruce lifted his head as his mind tried to register the plural. "Barbara? I thought she was still in Cleveland."

Alfred patted his shoulder, "Indeed she is. I believe the young miss is named, Meghan. Is that right, sir?"

Bruce blinked and shook his head at the news. He kept her with him. Bruce smiled softly, he was definitely not surprised. Gordon was just that kind of a man.

xxx

Alfred had showed Gordon and the little girl into the vast expanse of the Wayne penthouse. Its towering ceiling and massive walls of windows amazed the small child as she stepped off the elevator. She had insisted that Gordon let her stand on her own but now she tugged at him wanting him to pick her up and carry her into the enormous room. Gordon obliged her and swept her up into his arms.

Alfred smiled at them. "She is quite lovely Commissioner." Alfred bowed to the young girl.

Meghan collapsed against Gordon's chest as her shyness took hold. She was so outgoing with the members of his squad, but the minute a stranger spoke she would become bashful. Not afraid, Gordon was careful to differentiate it, just shy. He hoped that it was just her nature and not a result of the trauma she had suffered.

"Would she fancy a hot chocolate perhaps?" Alfred offered the suggestion to Gordon.

"Don't go to any trouble."

Alfred stopped him with a gesture, "No trouble sir. And for you?"

Gordon blew a breath into his palm, "Actually that sounds pretty good to me as well."

Alfred chuckled, "As you wish." He hung his coat up beside the door and then assisted Gordon off with his heavy wool trench coat. Gordon knelt and sat Meghan down in front of him. She leaned against him even as he removed her little white cotton gloves and pink coat.

Alfred hung them beside each other on wooden hangers. "I shall alert Master Wayne that you have arrived and will bring your beverages presently. Alfred gestured to the living area, "Please make yourself at home."

Gordon smiled down at Meghan as she looked owlishly around the penthouse, "I know how you feel kid. We are a little out of our element." He knelt back down and picked her up. "Be a good girl and don't break anything here, ok?"

Meghan nodded and wrapped her small arms around his neck. Gordon walked the considerable distance to the windows and showed Meghan the view of the city. She pointed out different buildings and Gordon named them off for her. She eventually pointed out Wayne Tower and Gordon let her know that they were going to meet the man that the tower belonged to. She had looked at Gordon and frowned, "I like your police building best."

That comment brought a laugh from the owner of the second place building in Gotham. Meghan tightened her grip on Gordon as Bruce approached and the men shook hands.

Gordon was at a loss and for a moment, Bruce was as well. After years of working together and trusting one another they now stood face to face with no masks between them.

Alfred entered with three mugs of hot chocolate, each topped with marshmallows and a small bar of milk chocolate beside the white cups. Bruce encouraged them to have a seat by the fireplace, which was roaring effectively enough to chase any coolness from the air. "Strange, after all this time to finally be in a room with each other like this," Bruce addressed the elephant directly.

Gordon nodded in agreement. "I thought I would have a million things to say...to ask. Now…" Gordon shrugged and shook his head. "I am speechless."

Bruce smiled as he took a cup from the tray. "Anti-climatic to find out the true identity of the Bat?"

Gordon scoffed at that while he helped Meghan with her cup, showing her how to scoop the marshmallows from the top and blow off the warm liquid. "Not quite, Mr. Wayne. More embarrassment that I didn't know it was you all along." Gordon did not seem embarrassed and Bruce called him on it. Gordon laughed as he sat back with his cup of chocolate. "Honestly I never spent time speculating at your identity. It never mattered to me." He sipped the liquid and looked down in surprise at the amazing taste.

Bruce grinned as he sipped from his, "Alfred makes the best hot chocolate. The best anything else for that matter."

Alfred reappeared with a tray filled with colored pencils and sheets of paper. "If you will permit me, sir. I believe the little miss might benefit from some entertainment while you two discuss business."

Gordon nodded grateful for the care the butler had already shown Meghan. "I hope you don't mind my bringing her, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce smiled, "Of course I don't, and call me Bruce. I think we have been through enough that we can dispense with the formalities."

Gordon snorted a small laugh and nodded in agreement. "Jim to you then."

Bruce nodded as he watched Meghan exploring the tray that Alfred settled on the fabric autobahn. She whispered a small "thank you" without being prompted and Alfred bowed and gave her a whispered, "You are very welcome little miss."

Bruce shook his head and declined to verbalize his feelings. Gordon picked up on it and agreed with the silent assessment. "Amazing I know. Adjusting better than I could have ever hoped she would." Gordon paused then gave into his own curiosity, "How is the woman in your life?" Gordon was careful not to use Selina's name.

Bruce suppressed a growl and shook his head, "Complicated."

Over dinner Bruce broke down to Gordon the events since the bomb and enlisted his help in bringing Blake along as his eventual replacement. Gordon had loved the idea of Blake's ability being utilized in this capacity, but Bruce felt he was not bought all the way in. "What's missing, Jim?" Bruce stood by the windows overlooking Gotham's skyline as he held a sleepy Meghan against his chest.

She had started off bashful around Wayne, but ended up succumbing to the charms of the powerful playboy. Gordon looked at her and had a moment of clarity where he realized this was the same man that had saved his son. This was the Batman holding Meghan against him as they talked over the fate of the city. It seemed so surreal that he would be standing here, it was all because of Bruce...the Batman that he was.

"Blake can put on the suit Bruce, but he will never be the man you are," Gordon stated it as plainly as he could feeling that Wayne deserved the truth as he saw it.

Bruce patted Meghan gently as she rustled her food stained face against his crisp but no longer completely white shirt. "It is my hope that he will one day be something greater than me." Bruce settled Meghan against him with his arm gentle across her back. She patted his shoulder absently as she drifted.

Gordon considered the passing of a legacy to the next son of Gotham. It was inevitable he realized. Batman was just a man, subject to the decay of time and injury. Wayne had provided for Gotham an heir to ensure that Batman would not end with him. Gordon lifted his head to Bruce and nodded, "I understand, I just don't feel the timing is right." He smiled and for Bruce it was trademark Gordon, a little amused self-deprecating smile that made you feel included even if the amusement was found at your expense.

"I guess I am being a little selfish. I am not ready to say goodbye to my friend, especially not now that I can actually sit in a room and talk to him." Gordon laid it out for him, "You have earned the right to walk away. I know that better than anyone Bruce. Hell, I have all the reason I need to do the same." His eyes fell down to Meghan, "But I can't. Not as long as I know my being here makes a difference. It's because of you that I was able to be the man I am. That I was ever able to make a difference at all." Gordon looked away into the Gotham night.

Bruce considered his words and felt the weight of the expectation Gordon had for him. He was surprised that it was not the weight of burden that he felt but simply the familiar responsibility to his city that he had comfortably shouldered for so long. He met Gordon's eyes and Jim was surprised to see Wayne looking at him expectantly, "Speaking from experience Jim, retirement is overrated." He extended his hand supporting Meghan steadily with the other. "Until the time is right?"

Gordon smiled and felt a pride that he had no place in having toward the courage of the younger man. "Until then."Gordon shook his hand, his lips pressed tight as he fought back emotion. "But now we have work to do, Mr. Wayne. Our mutual friend supplied us with the names of some of Gotham's most elite and most wanted as having connections to Bane and his crew."

Bruce winced, "Well the Catwoman may not exactly consider me a friend anymore."

Meghan raised her head and struggled to look around the room murmuring, "Catwoman." Bruce looked at Gordon in surprise.

Gordon shrugged, "She's a big fan."

Bruce smoothed Meghan's curly hair. "Have you seen her?"

Gordon nodded, "Yes." He paused for a moment considering how best to play this. "Actually... she stayed with me last night. Said her place got cleaned out while she was gone."

Bruce swallowed, and tried to keep his face neutral.

Gordon looked around the penthouse. "I'm kind of surprised that she couldn't find better accommodations than mine knowing the connections she has in Gotham." He smiled at Bruce and offered quick clarification for the sake of their fledging friendship. "Not that Meghan minded sharing her bed for a sleep over. It was quite a giggling girl fest I assure you." Gordon didn't miss the obvious relief on Wayne's face. "She is a special woman, Bruce." Gordon looked down at Meghan and smiled softly. "A formidable woman."

"Where is she?" Bruce did not bother with explanations on his situation.

Gordon straightened and adjusted his glasses, glancing down at his watch. "If I had to guess, I would say she is running down the leads on Scarecrow. I have been close to bagging him for the past week, but he keeps slipping through. I have some unconfirmed reports and she wanted to see to them herself."

Meghan made a sleepy sigh against Bruce's chest and he cradled her gently. "I need that list, Jim."

Gordon smiled, "Just like old times."

Bruce gave him a strained smile, as he acknowledged the bundle in is arms, "With a few new additions to keep things interesting."

xxxxx

 

x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Edits by Cheed!*
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> Frank and Earnest cartoon was quoted Copyright 1982 distributed from the comics dot com


	12. Chapter 12

It was nearly 2:00AM when Selina arrived at the third address provided by Gordon. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand as she walked up the alley, her ostrich skin boots tapping lightly on the moist pavement. She felt awkward and exposed without the protection of her catsuit. She stopped herself at the use of the word Catsuit. "Catwoman," she mumbled. Selina rolled her eyes at the name. Well if you can't beat 'em join 'em I guess.

She forced herself not to rethink leaving the one Fox had prepared behind. She had not even seen the final product. She had hauled ass out of Corsica without a thought of it or anything else. She had been miles away before her mind actually started processing what had happened and how she was going to handle it.

It was a rare thing that could get Selina Kyle ruffled and an even rarer thing that could catch her by surprise. Bruce throwing her over to the Feds had to be tops on both lists. She absolutely had not seen it coming. She had been pretty disappointed. Not disappointed in Bruce, he was a boy scout after all, trying to do the right thing by bringing the bad girl to justice. She would not begrudge him that. She did not begrudge the boy scout for taking a few weeks off in Italy to play house and satisfy some of his baser needs either. She had no complaints in that area at all. She tried to focus on the physical, on how good they had been together. _They should give merit badges for that thing he does with his tongue._

She had been disappointed in herself. For allowing herself to be used. The pain and hollowness she felt now pulled at her like quick sand beneath her feet; pulling her  steadily down as she tried to struggle against the admission that she had felt any greater connection to Wayne than what they shared in bed. I _used him for sex and he used me to save Gotham. No harm no foul._

She was a thief, he was the Batman. Their relationship—she balked at the word relationship—their whatever it was, had taken its natural course. Play time was over and it was time to get back to reality. The reality was that he was Bruce Wayne and she was...nobody. He was Batman and she was a criminal.

Selina had been disappointed in herself, that she had let the lure of love blind her to her situation. She had all but shackled herself and walked willingly to the gallows and why? Because Bruce Wayne bought her a flower and gave her a necklace? "Please...I am such an idiot." There aren't many people that get the best of you...he had said that to her before... _Well congratulations Wayne you got to see lightening strike twice_.

"I must be slipping." She blinked against the chilly bite of the December wind and huddled in on herself, zipping the light running jacket higher on her throat. She had not counted on her apartment being cleared out, she could damn sure use some clothes, a heavier jacket at least and a change of underwear would be nice. She glanced down at her denim jeans, at least she had been able to launder what she had and shower last night at Gordon's. She thought of Meghan and smiled wistfully.

xxx memory xxx

She had broken into Gordon's and discovered the toys and clothes. She knew then that he had kept the little girl. Selina was thankful she had been alone when she realized it, as the feelings of gratitude toward Gordon had overwhelmed her. She had actually intended on making contact with Jim and leaving without disturbing Meghan, but exhaustion had gotten the best of her while she was waiting for Gordon's team to finally disperse and she had nodded off. She had laid out across his bed listening as they planned out their strategic responses to the intel she had provided from the bank job.

They discussed at length the fax she had sent from the computer room before making her escape. She was happy she had had taken the time to send it directly to Jim's office at the MCU. That had probably pissed off the treasury department. She knew they would have cut Gordon out of the loop and he was the entire reason she had pulled the job. So she removed any possibility that he would be excluded from the information she collected. _Hell, I had even waited around for the confirmation report saying it was received._

Selina had drifted off to sleep curled on Gordon's bed. She felt a light cover drop over her and her eyes snapped open. She pushed back, not initially recognizing the man that stood over her. He held his hands up and backed off a step, 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, you were cold, you were shaking."

Then Selina placed him, "Detective Stephens."

He laughed lightly like he was pleased she remembered him. "Ah, yes that's right. It is Gerard, actually."

Selina was cautious, "Well since you are a detective Gerard... I suppose you already know who I am."

He shrugged, "You seem to be a house guest of the police commissioner." He hesitated as he watched her reaction, a small smile rewarded him for his feigned ignorance. "I like your hair. Quite a different look you have going now." He nodded, acknowledging her short hair and collection of tattoos and piercings.

Selina's smile broadened, as she ran a hand through her choppy black hair. "I'm trying to toughen up my image." She let her eyes fall to his neck. "Speaking of tough, how did you get that scar Gerard?"

He touched his collar reflexively. "A run in with a prisoner." He dropped his hand to the umbrella he held in his hands. His reaction told Selina there was far more to the story.

Gordon's voice sounded from down the hall, "What's keeping you, it is right inside the bathroom door." Gordon stopped short as he took in the unexpected sight. His arms reflexively shielded Meghan before he realized who was sitting on his bed. He squinted in disbelief finally accepting that it was Selina.

Meghan did not require the same time to process, she had lifted her sleepy head off his chest and squealed happily. Gordon quickly dropped her to the floor and she took off across the room bounding up on the bed. She was in Selina's arms hugging her and kissing her face. Selina had laughed at the warm welcome.

She had been surprised that Meghan even recognized her with all she had done to change her appearance. Her hair was short and black, styled in punky spikes. She had added some faux piercings on her lips, eyebrows, and ears along with semi-perm tattoos that trailed down her neck and arms.

x

Gerard cleared out the team and returned to find Selina and Meghan eating pie in the kitchen, with Gordon clearing the dishes and trash from the impromptu strategy session. It could have been a domestic scene out of any home in Gotham. He stood awkwardly to the side as he collected his jacket. Gordon walked over holding the stacks of glasses from the team. "I know how this must look."

Shaking his head Gerard slipped on his jacket, "Jim it looks like my fantasies at night. I have to get home to my wife before I start wishing that I didn't have a wife."

Gordon almost went into defense mode then just gave up and shook his head, "Detective, we will talk in the morning."

Stephens smiled and nodded, "Promise me details Sir, that is all I ask."

Selina appeared over his shoulder smiling as she whispered in his ear, " Jerry, a gentleman never gives details."

xxxx

She had every intention of stopping for extra supplies after leaving Gordon's that next morning, but things were moving quickly now that Batman was back in Gotham. She had counted on some time to operate without having to look over her shoulder for Bruce, but alas that was not to be the case.

She was only too aware of Bruce's return to Gotham as the previous day she had stood at the counter of a gas station and watched the national news report showing him landing at the Gotham airport. Bruce Wayne looking impeccable as he walked down the stairs, a busty blonde following close behind him. Selina felt herself bristle when she realized who she was. When the cameras captured the agent's hand sliding down his tie, Selina had slung her money on the counter and stalked out of the store chugging back the five hour energy shot she had just purchased.

She slammed the empty container into the trash and cracked open a bottle of water washing away the tangy aftertaste. "Fuck Bruce, at least trade up. I kicked the hell out of Agent Broadchest. It is embarrassing how stupid and inept she is...and obviously desperate...don't forget desperate."

xx

Selina nearly growled aloud in irritation as she imagined their plane ride back to the states together. She found herself taking comfort in the fact he had brought his own plane and would be without the benefits of cabin accommodations. As she walked down the alley now she balled her fists in her jacket pockets and reminded herself that she did not care what or _who_ Wayne was doing. So long as it was wasn't Selina Kyle that he was screwing over it shouldn't matter. "But seriously...? The bimbo agent? What the hell? I expected better from you Bruce."

She heard movement behind her and she forced herself to focus. She found the source in the reflection of a broken window. Three men moving behind her, no weapons that she could see., but all pretty good size. Shit. She really was slipping.

Selina missed her steel toes and blade heels at times like this. Her only other footwear options at present would have been sneakers and while they would make for a more stealthy approach and quicker get away they were lousy in a fight. Since she was anticipating trouble tonight she went with the hard heels and pointed toes of her boots. She pulled her hands from their shelter in her pockets and let them swing freely at her sides as she picked up her pace. She felt them closing in. _Shit shit shit._

Selina broke into a run, dodging down the narrow alley, hurdling over a row of trash cans. She heard the men smash through them only seconds behind her. Selina cut down a narrow break between two buildings and regretted it immediately. A tall chain link fence separated her from the street. She put on a burst of speed hoping it would be enough to give her time to get up and out of their grasp before they reached her.

It did not.

She leaped high onto the fence and scrambled to climb. Rough hands grabbed her by the calf and thigh, pulling her bodily to the ground. She landed hard, a knee lodged into her ribs driving the air from her lungs in a whooping gasp. She felt her wrists pinned as another knee dropped against her low back holding her securely to the ground. Selina waited for an opening, keeping calm as she tried to play the helpless victim. "Please…please don't hurt me."

A hand gripped her chin and jerked her face up toward his. She hissed out in pain at the awkward angle of her neck. "Hey doll, you picked the wrong street to work tonight. You ain't gonna make no money down here. We don't pay for it. We just take it."

She felt a hand slip between her stomach and the ground fumbling with the button on her jeans. "Is this how you treat all of Crane's distributors, asshole?" Selina snarled out the question. "No wonder he can't get anyone but street goons to pack for him." She felt the hands hesitate and she knew she had a chance. Good thing to, because she had shit for leverage.

"I haven't seen you before." The voice was in her ear. The smell that accompanied it was enough to cause her to dry heave.

"Well you must have been short stroking hookers in a different alley last time I was here. Now get the hell off me, I got a deadline to make." Her comment brought a smattering of laughter from the men and she felt the hands relax as they let her up. She pushed up to her knees looked down at her clothes and cursed, "Freakin' fabulous."

The one that had dropped his knees into her was still standing in her personal space. He gave her a once over. "Say you ain't bad looking, all those piercings, I bet you got a tongue ring in there." He leered and grabbed her again by the hair reaching for the zipper on his pants. "Since you are already on your knees you might as well take care of me."

Selina smiled and agreed, "I might as well." She threw a right jab that landed true to its mark. He dropped like he was shot curling into a ball clutching his groin. She used her momentum from the punch to propel her body and leg swept the man on the left. She drove an elbow into his throat as he struck the pavement. The third was on her too fast for her to avoid. He drove a solid fist into her stomach as he dove on top of her. Selina ripped at his eyes with her nails and succeed in digging deep slashes across his face and down his cheeks. He struck out blindly at her and she dodged the worst of the pistoning fists. The blows glanced off her arm and shoulder as she slammed her head into his chin.

The strike stunned him and gave her an out. She leveraged out from under him twisting agilely away from his grasping hands. She leapt over the tangle of bodies and took off running down the alley, disappearing around the corner before the men staggered to their feet. Two of them followed after her, the one that received the throat shot didn't get up, he was struggling just to stay conscious as his airway swelled shut.

Their stumbling chase was short-lived as Selina wasn't running. She caught the first man that cleared the corner with a brick she had wrapped in her coat. She swung the nylon jacket like a ball bat, the weight and acceleration of the brick was substantial as she whipped it with all of her strength. When it connected it was lights out. Yellow teeth scattered across the pavement as the brick evicted the remaining rotting residents from the man's stench-ridden mouth. His ham-fisted buddy, bull-rushed her and Selina reflexively balanced herself. She dropped away and swept his arm under hers using his own size and momentum against him. 

_The principle of the river. Flexable, flowing. Redirection of vital energy..._

He went airborne as Selina upset his balance and flipped him. She spun gracefully beside him landing with his arm in a lock against her stomach. She drove her heel down into his jaw repeatedly until he stopped moving. Satisfied he was out, she released him and gave him a final kick to clear him completely off her. She stood and brushed the caked mud off her jeans.

"Impressive. Karate?"

Selina stiffened and then forced her voice to calmly answer, "Hapkido." She turned slowly to acknowledge the presence of the unwanted observer. It was not Bruce, but it was Batman. Blake stood above her on the outcropping of the brick wall that lined the alley, dark cape blowing behind him.

"Well, if it isn't Baby Bats." Selina smirked as she dropped her hands on her hips and stared up at him. The night breeze ruffled her thin purple undershirt and she tried hard to ignore how cold she was. He had no reply for her pet name, and she knew it must have burned him. She continued, the amusement obvious in her voice, "You know kid, you are doing this Batman thing all wrong." She stepped over the fallen man and glanced around for her jacket. "You are supposed to help a lady in distress."

A laugh followed that. "I would have, had I seen one."

Selina raised her brows. "Are you saying I'm not a lady?"

Blake laughed again, "I'm saying you're not a distressed one. And how are you gonna call me kid? You're like a year younger than me." Blake was very familiar with her bio having been the one to arrest her at the airport.

Selina smiled ruefully, "I have an old soul." She walked a few paces away, keeping her eyes on the young man. "Tell you what, next time don't wait for an invitation, you feel free to get off the bench and throw in." Selina turned on her heel and began walking down the alley putting some distance between herself and Blake.

"Hey!" he called out to her and she paused. "He's looking for you. He wants to talk to you."

Selina stepped off walking again as she responded, "Oh I just bet he does."  _I'm sure he wants to talk about that bank job I pulled and about how I am the last Blackgate escapee still running amok in Gotham..._ Selina shrugged him off, "Do everybody a favor and just pretend you didn't find me." She stopped and cocked her head as she heard a motor approaching. If there was one thing she recognized it was the familiar rumble of the Batpod.

"Too late." Blake shrugged and smiled as he adjusted the cowl on his head.

She gave him a long look of appraisal over her shoulder then shook her head as if disappointed in his actions. "Stay out of this number two, you have nothing to gain from getting in the middle of us." She turned and began walking again, her strides more purposeful. "I will be out of this dump of a city in a few days and I won't be coming back. So you boys don't need to concern yourselves about little ol' me."

Selina heard the flutter of the cape behind her and she dodged. She dropped and rolled under Blake's outstretched arms. Kicking up, she spun him into the already scattered trash cans. She was on her feet instantly as Blake struggled to untangle himself from the cape and get clear of the debris. Selina flicked the sensor on the side of his cowl to night vision and jerked his head back by the points of his cowl, exposing his eyes to the street light above him.

He yelled out as the magnified light assaulted his eyes, blinding him. He swung widely as he struggled away from her grasp. He landed a clear shot to her jaw and she yelped. It was the hardest hit she had taken that night. Selina stepped back, stunned from the blow. "Hey! Calm down, Junior." She resisted giving him a pop in return. Instead, she backed off and smiled at the struggle Blake was having as he stumbled forward over the cans, fighting the cowl back into position. "You need a new costume Baby Bats, you can't move for shit in that get up."

Selina laughed as she hauled ass down the alley, amping up her pace when she heard the motor on the bike cut off. She needed to get clear before Bruce had a chance to get a line of sight on her. That would be all she needed, for him to put the clamp on her and turn her over to the Feds before she even got started back in Gotham. She pounded down the alley, cutting through the narrow paths close to the buildings. Selina had her bearings now and a small smile touched her lips as she relaxed into a more comfortable pace. As she ran Selina found she regretted not having caught even a glimpse of Bruce in his bat gear. _He filled it out a damn sight better than little Blake._

She chastised herself knowing that if she saw him he would damn sure see her and once that thermal imager locked she would have a hell of a time losing him. He was too fast to screw around with. Normally she would have laughed at the notion of a guy carrying fifty pounds of equipment and wearing a knee brace would have the capacity to best her in a foot race, but she had seen Bruce in action and she wasn't willing to tempt fate.  

Selina was not too proud to admit to herself that seeing him would have hurt. Hearing his voice would have brought up feelings that she was intent on burying. _So beatin' feet down the alleys of Gotham was really the most productive thing I can do._ As she ran, Selina reminded herself again that she did not need Bruce Wayne...that she didn't need anyone.

xxx

He threw the cowl in the corner of the safe room of his west side penthouse. Bruce looked over at Blake and only by sheer force of will reigned himself in from chewing his ass over the events of the night. Blake had not spoken since they rode up on the private elevator. He took off his own suit and when the cowl came off Bruce could see that Blake was already beating himself up. Bruce tossed his gloves to the side and let his head sag back against his shoulders as he stared at the ceiling in frustration. "It will come kid."

Blake dropped his eyes and shook his head. "I am making a fool of myself out there Bruce. I keep this up and Batman will be the laughing stock of Gotham. "

Bruce looked over at him trying to draw some sympathy at the events of the evening, but his frustration at losing Selina was prevailing over all else. "Look, Blake...Selina is no slouch. Getting taken by her, well…" Bruce shrugged, he had nothing, no supportive words that would make getting your ass handed to you by a one hundred fifteen pound girl any easier.

Blake sat down on the metal ledge that ran the length of the wall. "Maybe I am the wrong guy for this Bruce."

Bruce had honestly been thinking the same thing, but recognized that it was just his own frustration spilling out onto the younger man. "It's too early to say that Blake." He tossed the breastplate and cape into the heap before kneeling to unlace his boots. He wanted out of the suit and to just put this entire night behind him.

Blake looked at Bruce in admiration, "Nice job on taking down Scarecrow's operation though."

Bruce stood, grimacing as his knees ground painfully, "Hopefully that will keep the drugs off the street while Gotham is recovering. I would have liked to have nailed Scarecrow while we were there. He has evidently moved up on the food chain from just drug running. Gordon said he was responsible for a lot of deaths during the occupation."

Blake nodded. "With him still out there, maybe we can get a lock on him and use him as bait to draw in Selina?"

Bruce considered it and nodded, "Possibly, but she can smell a trap a mile away. It will be tricky."

Blake sighed and tossed a towel around his neck, still clothed in the bottom half of the Batsuit. "Do you have some clothes I can borrow?"

Bruce pointed over to the drawers along the wall. "Help yourself."

Blake walked over and pulled open a drawer. "I'm sorry Bruce. " He kept his head down and faced away from the older man. "I know you were counting on me to hold her and I screwed it up." He shut the drawer hard in frustration. "She made a total laughing-stock of me out there. She handled three guys and kicked my ass without even breaking a sweat."

Bruce wiped a hand over his face and leaned against the door. "People underestimate her, she uses it against them. Don't let her do it to you again." Bruce offered the sage advice from having been a victim of that same folly. It was a mistake that had bit him in the ass every single time.

Xxx

Selina walked up the familiar peer toward the docks where she worked as a kid. After running away she had spent her first two years living here on the east marina. A Korean family had let her sleep in their family store at night in payment for babysitting and day labor when the boats ported in. After school, Selina would carry fresh produce, fish, and meats to their store and help with the cleaning and next day's food prep. It was an agreeable arraignment, while it lasted.

Selina stopped and looked at the boarded windows. The entire marina had fallen into disrepair when the crime syndicates started fighting over territories. Businesses were forced into paying multiple organizations for protection they were not receiving. Drug dealers drove away the legitimate customers and the criminal element quickly took over. Freighters carrying fruits and vegetables gave way to speed boats smuggling cocaine and heroin.

No one went to the docks after nightfall unless they were connected; not the police, not vagrants, not even hookers and dealers. At night the marina belonged to the mob...and Selina Kyle.

She moved confidently, wrapped securely in the shadows of the night just as she had when she was a kid.

After Batman helped clean up Gotham the smuggling and murders stopped, but the marina never recovered. It was a wasteland. Buildings boarded and crumbling, boat slips and moorings dropped away from the rotted piers reclaimed by the stagnate water of the once bustling port. It was like a nuclear wasteland, barren and devoid of all life.

Selina, glanced around before she picked the lock and drew back the hasp, letting herself into the abandoned store. She tossed aside the piece of wire that she had used as she stepped hesitantly into the cluttered room. The musty air was filled with the odors of mold and dust. The store itself was like a haunted memory. The landscape of the room was only vaguely familiar, ghostly webs of endless neglect shrouded everything leaving only glimmers and whispered illusions of her past.

The placement of the counters was the same but the freezers and refers were no more. The linoleum peeled and the wooden paneling was rotting off the walls. She dug a toe in the heap of trash on the floor as she remembered Ms. Han and how particular she had been that the floor be spotless before Selina was finished for the evening. Selina looked at the stairwell that lead to the second floor. She felt no pull to venture up the narrow passage as that held no memories for her. She had never been allowed into the family's living area above the shop.

She slid her hands into her pockets and turned slowly as she surveyed what had been her home. A large rat stood on the pile of trash in the corner where her pallet had laid. It must have felt her watching him because it twitched its whiskers annoyed at her intrusion before scurrying away under the fallen support beams. Selina sighed. _Why did I come here?_ She sat down on a wooden crate and pulled her legs up, wrapping in on herself as she rested her chin on her arms. Her eyes roved the room as she searched for answers. _What do you think you will accomplish by being back here...by coming back to Gotham?_

The answer was easier to find than she thought it would be. It was the same reason her feet had carried her to this store. _This is your home._..She had talked shit to Blake about Gotham, but the fact was, this city was a part of Selina and she was a part of it.

Bruce had the west side—the art galleries and museums, the fundraisers and symphonies. Selina had the east side—the blue collar industry the docks the struggle, the strife of the Gotham working class. Neither alone was the identity of Gotham. They were just different sides of the same coin. She wondered if Bruce understood that this part of Gotham was worth fighting for too, or had been once upon a time.

She let her eyes travel the room, dragging up the memories from her past that she normally had so tightly held that they almost ceased to exist. Above the counter, three empty nails, the wall slightly discolored where plaques had hung on the wall. One had been a welcome sign written in Korean, beside it one another in English and finally a small hand written menu with large print at the top advertising Ms. Han's Bulgogi for three dollars. The spicy meat dish had brought people in from miles. Dock workers, secretaries, firefighters, all happily enjoying the food as they sat at folding tables with white paper placements. They likely would have happily sat on the perfectly polished floor to eat the Bulgogi, it was so delicious.

Ms. Han made it from her grandmother's recipe and she took great care to ensure that it was made to perfection. Ms. Han's three children helped in the store, but it was only Selina that she trusted with the Bulgogi. Selina helped mix the marinade that spiced the tough cuts of beef overnight. She knew it was the most important thing to the small business so she made sure that she was exact and precise to the directions.

Daily Ms. Han would walk her through the grocery list and Selina would memorize the items running a total in her head for costs and Ms. Han would give her money. Selina would go to the docks and pick the items for the store using the ancient rickshaw that the family possessed to hustle back the supplies. Selina would return with the items and receipts, enter the figures in the books and help stock the produce. 

Selina was also tasked with accompanying the children to their nightly functions. Selina loved this most of all. The son took martial arts two days a week, the youngest daughter gymnastics, the eldest daughter dance. She would take the children to classes, walking them or riding them all in the rickshaw if Ms. Han decided on accompanying them for the evening. She would stand in the shadows at the back of the class, mirroring the lessons as the children fulfilled their mother's demand to participate in extracurricular activities. Selina had especially loved when the eldest daughter had taken up art class on Saturday afternoons.

Selina saved the lightly used paper place mats from the restaurant and took a small pencil from the waitress stand and lay in the back of the class as the instructor explained the art lessons. Eventually he became intrigued by Selina and noticed the raw talent she had, the detail she was able to exact on the food stained place mats. He made a spot in his class for her at a drafting table near his podium. He lead her to the chair and indicated that she should take a seat, she had nearly cried when he told her that the large new sketchbook and pencils were for her. Selina had dropped her head low letting her curly brown hair hide her face as she ran her hands over the expensive paper.

He challenged the class that day to use a heavy wide charcoal square to complete their creation. He spoke about the power of black and white and the ability to communicate with meaning the mystery and the beauty of simplicity. Selina thought about the quality of the paper and what deserved to find a place on it, what had earned the right to exist forever.

The first thing she drew on it was the Korean Characters for the shop's name. The intricate characters made with her slow, careful hand stood proudly off the parchment. Selina sat back and looked at the paper. Mr. Ran nudged Selina and smiled at her accomplishment. The instructor lifted it off of her table and Selina felt herself shrink as he looked at it for a long few moments then showed it to the class. He sat it back on the table and smiled at her. "Beautiful."

The Han family were first generation immigrants from Korea. Ms. Han came with not much more than recipes and a desire to find a better life for her children. Their business was successful and they were well thought of in the little marina district. They were living the American dream until the day Adriano Carpanzano boys came into the store. Selina remembered the fear she saw on Ms. Han's face, the worry that lingered long after the men left. The pressure of protection money dwindled her profits and eventually her savings and eventually her health.

Ms. Han took ill and passed. The doctor said it was pneumonia, but Selina blamed the men...they had broken her...made her worried and weak…they had killed her as sure as if they put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. Not knowing what else to do, Selina had cared for the children and continued the operation of the store until Ms. Han's oldest brother arrived from Korea several weeks later. Selina had watched silently as he collected the children and then she was alone again.

Selina was twelve by then. Older in her experiences than her age would suggest. She had seen Falcone and Carpanzano struggling for power with the Hans caught in the middle, the entire marina caught in the middle of their private war. Eventually it was too much and the businesses began to close. Selina watched it all from the shadows of the night, heard it all as she huddled on her pallet on the still perfectly polished floor.

She looked again at the place where she had slept, and shuddered, there were some memories that just needed to stay buried. She thought of Alfred. _When you look back over your life you have to answer for who you are and what you have done._ She thought about how he had said Bruce could settle his own scores. Selina pondered that for a moment.

With Blake's appearance it was obvious that Bruce spoke with Gordon. So her connection to Gordon was gone now too. She lamented that almost more than Alfred and Fox. She knew they were Bruce's family, but she thought it might take him some time to get back with Gordon. She thought she might have Gordon awhile longer. That was not to be. She knew where the loyalties of these men lay and she never had any illusions to the contrary, but it did complicate things for her. She had wanted to finish this. She had wanted her life in Gotham to mean something more before she abandoned her identity as Selina Kyle.

She rested her chin on her knee as she felt the unfamiliar tug that demanded she act. Selina was no angel and she never pretended she was. She had never wanted to be anything more than who the day demanded her to be, but somewhere along the way she had changed. She was different. She felt the demand in herself to make her mark on this city before she left it.

_Leave with my head held high...leave on my terms...leave my mark on Gotham._

She was sick to death of people with money and power making choices and her having to live the aftermath. Selina stood and brushed off the dirt from the seat of her jeans. She was done getting pushed around. She was going to see this out and she was going to be proud of herself for the first time in her life. She was not going to be at the mercy of others, left to feed on whatever scraps they allowed her. Not even Bruce Wayne was going to dictate her path this time.

Batman had shown her that she had a choice. It was strange that she was starting to depersonalize him. Maybe it was easier to just think of him as the Batman now. So be it. The Batman had changed her and she was grateful to him for that. She had a life with meaning now, a reason for being. Before she had always managed to carve out a living for herself and she had done it at the expense of people with means. There was no reason for what she did other than survival. She had always wondered why she had even made the effort to continue on trying to survive...why she clung to her life...her pointless painful existence.

Now she knew there had been a reason for it...she had saved Batman...she had helped to save Gotham She had made a difference...maybe she could still make a difference.

Bruce had Gordon's list and he would systematically knock off the dirt bags, eventually their paths would cross and he would sack her up too. "I'm not going down like that ." She tried not to be bitter about the choices they both were making. "No regrets...it was what it was...now it is what it is."

She took a breath. "Such is life. You can have your list Bats, I have a list of my own I am going to work through." She smiled, Gordon wouldn't begrudge her making some civic improvements while she worked through some local dirt bags. She thought of Gotham, especially the east end, the criminal element that had bubbled up during Bane's rule. People Bruce and Gordon had yet to even acquaint themselves with. Criminals that took the opportunity to oppress the weak and pad their wallets at the expense of the powerless It was the marina all over again...only this time she was not a helpless child. This time when they pushed, Selina Kyle was pushing back... The Catwoman was going to push back.

Xxx

Bruce sat on the couch watching the fireplace as the flames consumed the large dry log that Alfred had placed on the hot coals. Alfred had sat a plate with a sandwich and a sliced apple on the table in front of Bruce hours ago and it was still untouched. The apple had turned dark and the ice in his glass had long since melted. Alfred took it away without acknowledging his disappointment or worry. Alfred stopped at the trash to deposit the contents of the plate. He reached into his pocket and pressed his thumb on the redial button of his satellite phone. "I think I may require your assistance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edits by Cheed


	13. Chapter 13

Bruce awoke with a start. He sat up straighter in the chair blinking around in confusion. He had been watching the fire waiting for the communication from the casino in Monte Carlo. He looked outside and realized it was morning, late morning from the look of things. He cursed and reached over to check his laptop, it was gone. He stood and looked around the chair and table. He called out as he searched, "Alfred?"

Alfred heard him and answered back, "In here, Master Wayne."

Bruce stalked into the kitchen, perturbed at himself for falling asleep and at Alfred for taking the computer. The email alert would have woken him and he could have already been digging into things. He had a hunch Selina funded her escape with their casino money and he wanted to know for sure. He pushed through the door and his face registered surprise at what he discovered. Apparently, while he was asleep, his kitchen had been transformed into a crisis situation room.

Fox and Blake were sitting side by side at the dining table with three laptops open on the table in front of them, one of them he noted was his own. Cords ran to printers and a fax that also had taken residence on the glass top table. Fox was dressed casually in a light tan button down and jeans, his sleeves rolled and a fountain pen tucked into his front pocket. Blake was beside him still wearing the Gotham Rogues sweat suit Bruce had lent him. He wondered for a moment if the kid had ever left last night, from the looks of his eyes he hadn't. Alfred was standing behind the counter talking with Gordon who looked like the only person that was dressed for work. His customary tie and sports coat were solely utilitarian in function as he was a man that put fashion low on the priority list.

Bruce stopped short as he looked around the room in confusion. "What is all of this?"

Gordon resisted the urge to call it what it was, an intervention. Instead he lifted his coffee cup and answered, "Brunch." He took a sip and nodded at Alfred. "You know you were right Mr. Wayne, I've yet to find one thing that Alfred makes that doesn't qualify as the best I've ever had, including coffee." Gordon took another appreciative sip from his mug.

"Very kind of you to say so Commissioner," Alfred nodded pleased. Alfred himself was looking better than he had in days, the light blue button down he wore was also rolled to his elbows and unbuttoned from his throat. His blue eyes were bright and his attitude was chipper.

Bruce narrowed his eyes as he scanned the room. "Why the hell is no one at work?" He looked at Lucius specifically.

"Because it's Sunday, Mr. Wayne," Lucius replied dryly.

"I quit my job," Blake volunteered. Lucius cleared his throat and redirected the young man's attention to the computer screen. Blake was only too happy to drop his head and immerse himself in the information to avoid the daggers flying from Bruce's eyes.

Bruce looked at Gordon and found the police commissioner absorbed in drinking his cup of coffee. So that left Alfred. Bruce's heavy gaze fell on the most likely of suspects to have assembled this particular cast. "Well?" Bruce demanded.

Alfred simply shrugged, "Where else would you have me be today, Master Wayne?"

Bruce growled and was about to tell them all to clear out when he felt a small tug on the leg of his sweat pants. He looked down and Meghan was smiling up at him. His face softened and the tension dropped from his shoulders, the aggravation and anger abated like a switch had been flipped. Gordon was moving to intercept the little girl when Alfred motioned for him to wait.

Bruce stared down at her for a moment and she raised her hands to him indicating that she wanted him to hold her. Bruce dropped down and scooped her easily into his arms. She wrapped him in a hug and kissed his cheek before she set in on him about having been extra quiet so he could sleep...and that Sir Alfred had said she was good...and how all of the guys were helping find Catwoman... and had he seen her new hair?... and the drawings on her neck?...and did he know it was almost Christmas?

Bruce walked slowly over to the counter and stood her on one of the bar chairs ensuring that she remained supported by his arms. "Slow down and take a breath," Bruce encouraged her with a small smile.

Alfred mirrored the smile, pleased to see there were still some signs of life in Bruce Wayne. It seemed that little Meghan had found her way into Bruce Wayne's heart as well.

Meghan had her hands on Bruce's shoulders and was looking him eagerly in the eye as she tried to control her excitement. "Mr. Blake found her at the airport."

Bruce's head snapped over, his eyes locking down the young man. Blake raised his hands defensively, "The airport in Barcelona...the day of the plane wreck." He headed off any misunderstanding that they had a fresh lead in Gotham. "Knowing her disguise we were able to get a lock on her. We traced her down to a flight to Gotham the night of the accident." Blake walked over and set a laptop on the counter. Bruce leaned in, bracing himself on the counter as one arm remained wrapped around Meghan. She mirrored his posture with her arm hooked around his neck, her small hand planted on the dark marble.

Alfred and Gordon shared an amused look at the two of them together.

Blake had said that she had short hair now with tattoos and piercings He looked closely at the screen and was amazed when he saw her. It was no wonder they had come up empty. Bruce rocked back on his heels. "Do we have video on the parking structure?"

Fox spun his lap top and the screen was split with four different high resolution feeds of the parking lot and the entrance to the airport. Bruce watched as Sigmund and Selina pulled up on a small motorized scooter. She slipped off the back and gave him a long hug. He kissed her on the cheek and pulled away. Selina slipped something into her back pocket and strode into the airport. Her jeans were loose on her and were obviously a masculine cut, helping to obscure the curve of her hips... Even her walk was different...Bruce felt his lips twitch as he realized what she had done. "What does the flight manifest read? What name did she use?"

Blake shook his head, "We are narrowing that down now."

"Check the list for Sigmund Geller," Bruce ordered quietly.

Alfred lowered his cup of tea to the counter, "Bloody hell."

Bruce gave him a small smile, as he nodded his head. "I'd put money on it Alfred."

Her upper body was camouflaged with literal camouflage. An olive drab military style jacket ensured no feminine traits were visible. Bruce watched her go through security. Metal detectors flagged her and she pointed to her face piercings. The male attendant wanded her and then pointed her to her terminal.

"That's it," Blake announced triumphantly as he pulled up the facial shot taken at the counter when Sigmund Geller's ID was swiped. He enlarged it on the screen and Bruce paused the video feedback. Apparently Sigmund had grown in a light mustache and goatee. It was spotty and grungy like the rest of her look. Very detailed...very professional. "Print that." He stared at her image for a few moments then started the security video.

She pulled a wallet out of the back pocket of the jeans and flipped Sigmund's ID to the clerk along with a passport. The clerk gave her a look and pointed down at the photo. Bruce watched in amazement as Selina showed off her neck tattoo, even going so far as to roll up her sleeve and show the beginnings of ink on her forearm. The clerk shook her head and smiled as she handed back the passport and ID. She twirled her hair and looked after Selina as she walked down the tunnel. Bruce stood straighter and Meghan followed suit. _I'll be damned if Selina didn't flirt with that girl._ "She is brilliant,"Bruce admitted it outright to the occupants of the room and to himself. He had always thought her intelligent and formidable, but now he realized that she was...brilliant.

Gordon nodded in agreement. "She wanted to draw attention, it makes her memorable for all the wrong reasons. The skinny goth boy covered with ink and metal will be what the passengers and crew remember."

Bruce straightened and looked at Gordon with an odd mix of pride and frustration, "Meanwhile, Selina Kyle is hiding in plain sight."

Gordon shook his head in admiration. "Kind of a relief she is playing for the home team now isn't it?" Gordon took off his glasses and polished them with his cloth napkin. "Looks like you made a wise choice in selecting her to head up your security team Bruce. Glad the Feds were able to clear the charges on her. The district attorney will motion to have the case dismissed first thing tomorrow." He put his glasses back on and met Wayne's eyes, "She is something like I have never seen before."

Bruce nodded in agreement, his attention went back to Blake as the young man pulled up the video feed from Gotham. "There is video from the time she de-boards in Gotham. We can track her until she cabs it off site. We have traffic cams for six blocks then we lost her." He tapped the image that he printed of her, "But, now that we know what we are dealing with, we can narrow our search."

Bruce doubted that Selina would keep with the disguise, but the men had made some definite progress on piecing together her escape. That was something at least. "Nice work," he said it to the group, but then singled out Blake. "Really, Blake this answers a lot of questions for me."

Blake swallowed hard and nodded, pleased at the acknowledgment from Wayne. He had needed this; he needed a win after last night's events.

Fox stood and walked over to Bruce, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you eat something and when you get finished I want to go over some ideas I have. "

Gordon chimed in as well, "We have several new leads on Scarecrow. I am going to do some poking around. I'll call if there is anything solid." He leveled his gaze at Bruce, "We will hold off until we get your go ahead." Bruce nodded his understanding. Apparently Blake had been busy laying the ground work on their trap. "You ready Angel?" Gordon looked at Meghan expectantly.

Meghan looked around and nodded slowly as if she had thoughts of reconsidering. "I want breakfast too," she whispered.

Gordon smiled, "We will get you some on the way."

Alfred cleared his throat, "If the little miss wants a proper meal you had best leave her with us then, hadn't you Sir?"

Meghan blinked shyly at Alfred, dropping her head on Bruce's shoulder she said, "Thank you, Sir Alfred."

Gordon smiled at the play Alfred was making. Little Meghan was a charmer, and she definitely had Bruce Wayne's number. He winked at the little girl curled on Bruce's shoulder. "Fine by me. I will see you tonight then, sunshine. Be good please."

Meghan pushed off Bruce and gave Gordon a long hug, "I love you." Gordon froze and his eyes locked on Bruce's. She had never said it before, Bruce was sure of it just from Gordon's reaction. He heard the catch in Gordon's voice as he whispered that he loved her too.

Bruce held a protective arm around Meghan, ensuring she didn't lose her balance as he watched his trusted friend shoulder a worn leather satchel and drape an equally warn trench coat over his arm. "Jim, I've never thanked you for all that you've done...for me."

Gordon smiled as they shared the familiar moment, "And you'll never have to." He patted Bruce's shoulder as he passed, "Blake, walk me down." Blake stood obediently and followed the Commissioner out.

Bruce sat down with Meghan in his lap as Alfred poured her some more milk and fixed a coffee for the master of the house. She asked Alfred to have hers in a cup like Bruce's. Alfred indulged her and poured her drink into a white coffee mug. She ginned up at Bruce as she held her mug, "What do we want for breakfast?"

He looked down at her and smiled, "Your choice, Meghan." Before taking a sip from his cup he raised his eyes to Alfred and gave him a knowing look. "Well played, Sir Alfred. "

Alfred smiled as he flicked on the burner of the stove and began heating a pan, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Master Wayne. Now...how about some blueberry pancakes?"

"Count me in as well," Fox smiled as he joined them at the counter.

xxxxx

Selina shouldered her backpack as she maneuvered down the crowded street. She rubbed at the irritated skin at her hair line. Damn Sigmund and his crazy glue. She scratched her nails against her scalp for good measure and then threaded them through her long brown hair. It felt wonderful to be free from that suffocating wig. She grinned, she had looked pretty bad-ass in it though. She thought about tossing it once she got it unglued and unlaced from her scalp, but then reconsidered. She bagged it along with the faux body rings and mustache in her boogie bag, you just never knew when it might come in handy.

Removing the tattoos was a slower process. She had taken several bottles of whiskey from the hotel mini bar and used them to scrub off the artwork from her neck and ears. She had just left the others on her arms and torso. She had told Siggy that all the others were not necessary, but he was on a roll by then. He had painted designs up her arms, down her sides and across her stomach and back. He had told her to calm down and enjoy it like he was. He was quick in confessing that camouflaging a cat burglar was the coolest most exciting thing he had ever done.

When she had told him who she really was and what she had done, he hadn't believed her. Selina had him meet her at the casino in Monte Carlo. She had already ensured that Fox's credit line was cleared and cashed in the rest of Leslie Pendergrass's holdings for Euros. When she showed Sigmund the stacks of cash he started to believe. When she handed him half the money and asked for his passport and ID he had completely believed. She hadn't had to ask him to help with the disguise, by then he was in it for the sheer thrill of it all.

Before they pulled up to the airport Selina had slipped a drop phone into his backpack. "My number is programmed in. I will mail your passport and ID when I get to Gotham." Selina patted his back. Sigmund hugged her tight and kissed her, then she was gone. Selina smiled as she thought of him. She hoped he used the money to go back to school. He had told her that he would.

She pushed through the doors of Ferocious Ambush Cycles and the smell of new leather filled her nose. She smiled as she looked over the store and the endless racks of motorcycle leathers. The two men behind the counter jostled to get by each other and both hurried to meet her on the steps leading from the street to the store. "Hello boys." Selina winked at them and smiled as she swished past them. She let her eyes drift over the leather they wore and satisfied her curiosity that they weren't real bikers. No affiliation or rockers on their vests. They were middle-aged business owners playing weekend road warriors, harmless enough she decided.

"You need some help miss?"

Selina decided to entertain herself and them a little, break up the monotony of shopping. "Oh...I'm going to need lots of help. I'm gonna spend a fortune in here today and I want to make sure everything I leave with looks fabulous on me." Selina smiled seductively, "not just tough...but completely badass…and if it is sexy too ...well...all the better."

xxxx

Gordon and Blake stepped on the main elevator out of Bruce's pent house. Gordon nodded over at the younger man. "You want to tell me what's eating you son?" Blake looked like ten miles of bad road, exhausted and defeated.

"Sir, I'm just not sure Wayne made the right choice picking me for his replacement. I'm not cut out for this. I don't think, I mean, it's an honor, don't get me wrong. But...I don't…" his voice trailed off as he focused on the floor of the elevator.

"Rough night?" Gordon summed up what he observed.

Blake nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty...embarrassing."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Gordon's lip. "Do you think he became Batman overnight?" Gordon shook his head, "He went through his share of hard learning's Believe me, I was there for some of them. It wasn't always the bad guys I was left scraping off the street." He adjusted the satchel on his shoulder and straightened his lavender tie in the reflection of the metal on the elevator door. "He's had training you haven't. You don't just pick up his level of ability from roughhousing in the school yard."

Blake nodded, "He told me he wanted to work with me, help me get ready. He hasn't had the time, this mess with Selina Kyle has him twisted up pretty bad right now. Which is another thing I just don't get. I mean, she is beautiful I'll give him that, but she is a thief...a criminal." Blake shook his head, "He is compromising everything he stands for just by knowing her, much less-"

"Stop." Gordon was still and calm when he looked at Blake. "If caring for Selina Kyle compromises a man then you had better know that every man up in that penthouse is in the same position as Mr. Wayne. Self included." Gordon remained un-moving. "Selina Kyle is a special case Blake. I don't deny that she has made her share of bad decisions. Hell, she would tell you that herself, but this is more than just black and white." He struggled to define Selina, "She operates in the grey, a lot like you will be soon I imagine." He chuckled, "She has just been on the deeper end of the spectrum for awhile. It has taken her some time to rise to a place where her true character and conviction could reveal itself. It took Batman to show her who she really could be."

Gordon smiled wistfully, "It took Batman to show me that about myself too." He nodded at Blake, "Looks like he did it to you as well it seems." Gordon paused for a moment, "If he believes there is more to her than what you are seeing, it's because there is. Trust him on that." Gordon smiled, "Besides, do you really believe a man like Bruce Wayne...like the Batman, would fall in love with just any woman?"

"Love?" Blake was surprised by that. They hadn't known each other long, to say he loved her was a pretty large assumption considering all Wayne had to lose by letting someone like her into his life. "You really think he loves her?"

Gordon looked up, "Well son, that damn sure wasn't _like_ I was seeing up there." The doors slid open and Gordon pressed the button to hold it. "Don't judge Selina before you know her." He smiled at him in a kind sympathetic way, "She could probably show you a trick or two if you ask her the right way. And don't judge Bruce for needing her. He has spent his life alone, now he's finally found his other half. He deserves to be happy, he has that coming to him." Gordon stuck out his hand to the young man. "I never got the chance to congratulate you on your new career path." Blake took his hand hesitantly. Gordon smiled at him again, his blue eyes clear and honest, "I don't think Wayne could have made a better choice. I look forward to working with you again."

x

edits by Cheed


	14. Chapter 14

Bruce took two pills from the quickly dwindling supply of migraine medicine. He stood alone in the kitchen as he drank down water, flushing the chalky pills down his throat. He sat the bottle down and leaned on the counter trying to push the fog away from his mind. His dark navy bath robe hung loose around his waist as he looked at himself in the reflection of the mirror hanging in the breakfast nook. He looked thin and ragged. Dark circles ringed his eyes and his hair and beard looked unkempt. _You are going to have to get a hold of yourself soon Wayne. This is getting out of hand._

He gave his mirror reflection a glare as he stalked by soothing himself with the knowledge that nobody looked their best fighting a ripping headache at one in the morning.

The house had finally cleared and Alfred had retired to bed. Bruce had waited until everyone had left for the evening before he accessed the video feeds provided by the casino. He had wanted to watch it in private before sharing it with the others. He had not liked the feeling of Lucius showing him the video of Selina, that Fox had understood what had happened at Corsica before he did. It had felt like a violation.

He knew Fox cared for Selina and she for him, but Bruce still felt it. _When the dust finally settles, this is about our relationship. Selina and I...this is about our life together._

He walked silently into the living area and tossed another log on the dying fire before taking a place on the couch and depositing the computer on the table in front of him. He opened the laptop and entered the security password the casino manager provided him. As he accessed the video feeds, he toggled between hundreds of camera options to give himself the most acceptable views of her as she made her way through the casino.

The hotel had already confirmed that the Pendergrass account had been cleared and that she had received a cash payout, but still he requested the Casino provide him with the video. He had wanted it for no other reason than to see her again. Bruce rubbed at his temples as he watched her walk through the doors. Less than half an hour after pulling the bank job, Selina Kyle was in Monte Carlo. Walking smoothly through the gamblers, she moved along the outside of the roulette tables and she didn't stop until she reached the cage. She gave her id to the cashier and collected their winnings.

He held his emotions in check until after she had collected the money and was waiting on a bench outside the entrance of the casino. She had pressed back as far as she could into the alcove away from the cameras. Bruce had searched alternate feeds until he found a blackjack table that overlapped and picked up her external image through the front glass. He isolated the image and enlarged it.

She sat pushed back into the dark corner her arms wrapped around her knees, her chin ducked behind her arms. She looked so alone that he felt himself reacting. _Selina…why? Why couldn't you just trust me...believe how much I love you?_ He felt the sick twist in his stomach as his heart ached for what he had lost. Damn it all. What if I can't find her to make this right? He ran his hands through his hair massaging at the sides of his head as the frustration of his situation gnawed away at him. _What more could a man do than I did to prove himself worthy of your love Selina Kyle?_

Bruce brought his head up and tried to force away his own emotion. He tried to see it from her perspective, he tried understand why she seemed insistent on throwing their love away with both hands. She feared capture. Yes, but Selina was not the type of woman that let someone get the best of her and if they did, she wouldn't go quietly without the end scene. He need only look as far as Daggett to know the truth in that. He had screwed her over and she went right to the source, Bane and his soldiers be damned.

Bruce paused the screen and voiced his question, "Alfred, if she thought I lied to her, why would she leave without confronting me?"

"Simple. Leaving was what she always intended to do." Alfred's answer came quiet and calm from over his shoulder. Neither man was surprised by the instinctive awareness they had for each other's presence. Alfred considered Bruce's question an invitation and padded over in his fleece lined slippers and pale blue robe. "She had been looking for a way out all along."

Alfred's presence wasn't a surprise, but his revelation on Selina was shocking. Alfred's words cut him to his core and Bruce felt himself collapsing in defeat. "Why Alfred?" Bruce fought back the emotion that strangled at him, "Why didn't she—"

Alfred interrupted, "She believed herself unworthy of what you two had together. Of love entirely I would suspect." Alfred circled the chair and sat beside Bruce on the couch, "She never believed she was good enough for Bruce Wayne, nor did she feel she could ever be on an equal moral foundation with Batman."

Bruce looked at him, the pain obvious in his eyes. "I did everything to make her understand that I love her. That it is her that I want in my life. Now you tell me she chose not to believe me. She chose to leave. Why?"

"Something external to you entirely perhaps, Master Wayne. The whys aside, it is the truth of how she felt, of what she believed about herself. It was the very reason I shared with her the beginnings of your father and myself. I thought maybe if she could see past the Wayne name that she would realize that a position in your world was more attainable than she led herself to orginally believe."

Alfred looked around the luxurious penthouse and shook his head, "Of all the women for you to fall in love with Master Wayne...it would be the one bloody woman on earth that doesn't fancy herself born to be a princess." Alfred sighed and resigned himself to breaking her confidence. "She practically begged me to talk you away from loving her. She expected...invited, as it were, my disapproval of your relationship with her." Alfred nudged Bruce's arm, "A disapproval, by the way, that she did not acquire."

Bruce gave Alfred a nod that he understood he would have never done that to him.

"Master Wayne, she was looking for a reason to run not because she did not love _you_ , but because she believed that it was best that _you_ not love _her_."

Bruce sat back and his eyes glazed, "So that is it then, this wasn't an accident. She made a choice and I just gave her the excuse to do what she was always going to. She never wanted...never wanted to make a life with me."

Alfred gripped Bruce's shoulder and rocked him gently. "I believe with everything in my being that Selina loves you. But how does this woman who already believes herself unworthy of you, then allow you to damage your social position, compromise your family name to be with her?" Alfred sighed and dropped his hand to Bruce's knee. "Moreover, how does an independent woman the likes of Selina, trust enough in the depth of your love that she could finally realize she is actually worthy of your sacrifice?" Alfred waited for Bruce to acknowledge his questions.

Bruce looked up into Alfred's calm blue eyes. The truth of his words were validated in what he had seen in Selina all along. The deeper facts that he knew of her past and the father that had betrayed the ultimate trust a woman should have with a man, made it all the more apparent that Alfred was right. "How can I ever hope to get through to her...to get us to a place where she will let me love her and I can trust her not to run?"

Alfred shook his head in sympathy. "I never said Selina would be easy to attain Master Wayne. What I am saying, is that she is worthy of the pursuit."

Bruce gave Alfred a suffering look and shook his head, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "I am exhausted Alfred. I just don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Do not give up on her, Master Bruce. Please. For both your sakes, do not give up." Alfred did not know how else to get his point across other than tell Bruce the truth as he saw it. "Together...you both become the people you were destined to be." Alfred hesitated, "Apart...apart, I fear you both will merely exist as shadows of what you should have been." Alfred tried to keep down his emotion and failed as his voice cracked, "It was only in her presence that I have seen you truly come alive, Master Wayne."

Alfred slipped his arm around Bruce's shoulders again as the younger man leaned forward and dropped his head, into his hands, propping his elbows on his knees. He watched as Bruce rubbed his hands through his hair, "What if I fail, Alfred?" Bruce's voice was quiet and calm.

Alfred felt his eyes pricking with tears. "You will not." He could not allow himself to consider that Bruce would slip back down into his seclusion. "You have never failed at anything in your life, Master Wayne." He patted his back, "Now...go find the missus and bring her home."

Bruce choked a laugh, "That sounds a hell of a lot easier than it may prove to be, Alfred."

x

x

xx Two days later xx

Selina had sacked up two of the Eastside's biggest loan sharks along with their knuckle-dragging collectors. She duct-taped the books with highlighted names of four of New York's top ranking city officials to the head of one of the sharks. It looked like some of NYC's criminal element was trying to sneak in and set up shop while Gotham was restructuring itself.

She smiled, Gordon is going to have a blast with them. Hopefully he will get them to spill guts on any of their partners in crime that she hadn't discovered just yet. She made the call to 911 and gave the address and hung up without further explanation. She knew Gordon was getting her little presents as the news always reflected the arrests. She swallowed back the regret that she couldn't deliver them to him personally.

Walking an alternate route to her motel Selina heard a commotion and followed it down an alley and into the fenced area surrounding a junkyard. She crept along in the shadows until she found the source: two men and two dogs standing in the open ground of the scrap yard.

Selina crouched down in the shadows and watched quietly. Two pit bull dogs, one a brindle and the other a battle scared white, stood uneasily at the ends of their leashes. Neither seemed particularly aggressive, but were yipping and pulling toward the fence line. Selina craned her neck to see what was drawing their attention. She saw it only when it moved, a dark shadow against the tall chain link fence that ran the perimeter of the property, another dog, muzzled and secured tightly to the fence. It struggled against its bindings bucking against the heavy chain at its neck then pawing desperately at the wire muzzle on its face.

She watched as the men took out an envelope and both poured some powder in their palms, they knelt beside the pit bulls and blew the powder into the faces of the animals. Selina had heard there was something circulating now called 'Fight Fuel' or 'Double F' and she suspected she was about to see its effects in action. The reaction of the animals was more severe than Selina had anticipated. The dogs immediately displayed an unexpected fear response, tucking their tails and urinating. Then their body mechanics changed entirely and low growls rumbled from their chests as their eyes rolled and they slung their heads snapping wildly at the air.

Selina glanced over at the large black dog; he had pressed himself against the fence. She could hear the metal chain around his neck rattling as he shook in fear. While she sympathized for the animal, Selina wasn't overly enthused at the prospect of intervening between rampaging animals. She shifted nervously not sure how to handle this situation. "I need my gun," she mumbled to herself as she reached into her heavy leather jacket and pulled out her goggles. She slipped them on and flipped the eye shields back over her head. She still wasn't sure what her play was going to be when the dogs started advancing. Then she realized they weren't moving in on the chained dog, they were advancing on their handlers.

She could not help the smile that broke across her face. _Payback was such a bitch sometimes_. The men dropped the lead lines and stepped warily away from the beasts. The attacks came immediately. The dogs rushed in wildly and the men broke and ran. The damaging power of an aggressive pit bull dog was a terrifyingly awesome thing to see, especially when it was directed toward deserving bastards like these.

One of the men was obviously smarter than the other, as he elected to run toward the kennels, dragging the attacking brindle pit along with him. He maneuvered both of them inside the nearest pen. He was able to turn and pull himself through the door while the dog masticated his leg. Luckily for him, the brindle was relatively small and never managed to lock down its jaws. He was able to get through the gate and pull loose from the dog, forcing shut the steel barrier shut between them.

Stupidity was definitely not a virtue, as the other man had run further into the field and the much larger white pit had him down and was trying to lock on his throat. He fended off the attack with his arm and the dog latched on it and shook with all of its enraged strength. His friend sagged against their car and yelled, "Get up Cam! Get up! She will kill you man! It's that shit! It's Berserker!"

The dog turned and ran for the sound of the other man, he saw her coming and ducked inside a nearby car. The door closed right before the blood soaked dog leapt onto the hood. Pits were powerful, aggressive and fast without stimulants and now this one was supercharged. It snarled and snapped at the glass desperate to get to the man inside.

Selina saw her window of opportunity. Not to save the useless creep crawling on the ground, but to save anyone else that might have the misfortune of meeting that rage monster on the street after it finished with its idiot owners. Selina slunk toward the kennels only mildly aware of the brindle pit going insane in its pen, pulling frantically at the wires that held it captive. She froze when the white's triangle head raised and its crazed eyes locked on her. She had a second to hope that it wasn't all humans that it wanted to murder before the animal sprang off the car hood and ran for her. She sprinted for the kennel knowing that if it caught her on the open ground it would maul her before she could ever hope to stab it to death with her knife... _if I could even manage to get to my knife._

She jumped at the gate and the dog launched at her. Her fingers snagged the wire as she swung her legs up and in, curling in on her herself as her weight and momentum caused the fence gate to swing in violently. She felt the dog's claws and teeth hit her back raking down her leather jacket.

The momentum of the dog coupled with the trajectory of her swing on the gate caused it to miss its mark. It crashed into the side of the enclosure. Selina's feet hit the fence that separated the kennels and the brindle's snapping jaws surrounded her booted foot. She kicked out her legs with everything she had, swinging herself backwards as she continued to cling onto the gate. The gate slammed shut with her on the outside. The white pit was right there, its jaws biting at the fence. Selina forced down the latch as she dropped to the ground.

She collapsed down to her knees panting. Her breath coming in whooping gasps as she tried to get herself under control. She could feel the dog's breath on her face as it raged at the wire that separated them. She watched bloody foam drip from its teeth as it pulled violently at the wire by her face. "Holy shit that was close," she rasped hoarsely. She staggered to her feet and stumbled a few feet away from the dog before again falling to her knees. She braced herself with her gloved hands in the snow. She couldn't find it in herself to celebrate not being mauled to death. She was just trying to breathe.

The guy in the car cracked open the door, "Are you alright?"

"Hell no! Didn't you see that?" Selina struggled to calm down. She sucked in air and tried not to think about how close that had been to front page headlines: 'Catwoman Mauled To Death By Junkyard Dogs'. She snorted a laugh, _They still wouldn't be able to identify Catwoman, because that fucking dog would have chewed me unrecognizable._ Then she did laugh. She laughed out of sheer relief at escaping and mild hysteria at how afraid she had been. She laughed until tears slipped down her face and her sides ached.

Once she regained some of her composure she pushed herself up and stumbled on trembling legs to the downed man. She dropped back down on her leather clad knees, grateful not to have to continue trying to balance on her shaking legs. The man was curled in the snow moaning in pain. Selina touched his leg and he yelled out. "Calm down," Selina ordered as she spun her knife open and sliced off a piece of his torn jacket. She wrapped the fabric around his arm and tied it tightly over the torn flesh. "What the hell were you idiots doing?"

"Trying to get our dogs ready for the fights tomorrow night. Scarecrow is putting up twenty large for the winner and that's just the dog fight." Selina cut another strip and wrapped his forearm, the dog had really shredded him. "Deano said they weren't aggressive enough, so we Double F-ed them." He hissed at the pain of the pressure she put on the wound.

"Looks like you idiots ended up Double Fing yourselves." Selina was glad she had found some of her humor again because she felt like she was still freaking out. "Why the hell would you load them on that shit if you knew what it would do?"

"Man that wasn't Double F." He laid his head down in the snow and clutched at his arm. "Word is some of the shit out there is bad...laced maybe. We got some I guess. That shit wasn't no Fight Fuel, it was that Berserker shit."

Selina glanced over her shoulder to make sure the dogs were still contained. They had started fighting each other through the interior fence, but so far the steel cage was holding them apart. She returned her attention to the bleeding man, "Where are the fights tomorrow night?" His eyes flashed at her and Selina gave him a tired look, "Would you prefer me to let that white nightmare back out on you?"

He shook his head, "The abandoned Cedarpark mall. At the ice rink."

Selina flicked her knife closed. "Leave the dogs where they are. The GCPD will deal with them. I'll call you an ambulance."

The man nodded, "So you are really Catwoman? Man, that's cool as hell."

"Catwoman saving you from a dog attack isn't cool Dumbass, it's ironic." Movement drew her attention back to the fence. "What's the story with that one?"

The man shook his head, "Just some worthless stray we were gonna let the pits practice on."

She looked at down at the man, and reconsidered the notion of feeding him to the damn monsters he created. Instead she stood and stomped her lug heeled boot into his chest as she walked across his writhing form to get to the chained dog. As she stalked away she unzipped her jacket pocket and pulled out her cell phone, her thumb punched three digits. "Yes I need officers dispatched to Trashout's Salvage off Price street. There are two guys dog fighting, they are both injured." She ended the call and shut off the phone before dropping it back into her jacket pocket.

She saw the black dog move and she froze for a second as it stood and looked at her. His ears stood tall off his head and the resemblance to a certain bat cowl was not lost on her. The tall points of his ears and the slender length of his legs made his breed recognizable even in the dark. It was a Doberman.

She assessed the situation and tried to decide what to do with the battered mutt. _He's gonna bite you Selina. As soon as that muzzle comes off he is gonna bite you in the face..._ She swallowed down her fear, she had to try at least. She approached slowly, but the dog struggled mightily at the possibility she was there to continue his abuse. She stopped and knelt down, evaluating the wire muzzle. It was cutting into its face and blood was dripping down onto the snow. The trampled snow around it was already stained red where the limited chain allowed him to move.

She reached her hand toward him and the dog pulled violently away from her, twisting against the chain at his neck. "Well buddy, you win. I'm not getting anywhere near that snapper of yours. Besides, you need more help than I can give you anyways." Selina stood and backed away from it, the GCPD would deal with him when they came. As she turned she heard the low whine. She glanced back and the dog was staring after her, "No way pal. I tried to help you and you decided to play hard to get."

She walked a few more feet before the Doberman's strangled cry reached her again. Selina stopped and turned, looking at the dog warily. The mask obscuring his mouth caused his breath to come in strained huffs, steam escaped from between the bloody wires as he whined again. Selina warned the dog as she approached again, "Last time I met a guy with a caged up mouth like yours I shot him with a rocket launcher, so don't mess with me." She paused for a moment and glanced at the fence. She relaxed a bit, "Let's do this the easy way." She went up and over the fence, dropping down on the other side. Approaching the dog with the barrier between seemed better for both her and the dog as they were both calmer now. They both felt protected from one another.

He looked at her with baleful eyes over the contraption that enclosed his mouth. "You don't need to give me those eyes, Cujo, I am already helping you." She knelt beside him and pulled his head over to the fence using the chain at its neck. When it got close enough she slipped her fingers through the fence and unfastened the bottom buckle of the muzzle. She was sickened to see how tight the dark metal was against his flesh, it had cut into the lighter patch of hair leaving bloody splits that webbed across his mouth.

"Bastards," she hissed as she looked where she left the man lying in the snow. Returning her attention to the dog she paused, wondering if it would be better to just leave him for the police. They were rolling by now anyways. _The tough truth of the matter was none of these dogs were going to make it through this. They probably wouldn't even take off the muzzle before euthanizing him... Screw it. Better he gets a chance to survive._

She unfastened the remaining buckle behind his neck, holding it with the fingertips of her left hand she pulled the latch loose. "There you go." The dog remained still. Selina was surprised that he did not immediately shake off the muzzle. She reached timidly through the chain link and tugged at the muzzle, the small whine that came made her feel terrible. "I shouldn't even take that off... you are gonna bleed like crazy."

His sad eyes watched her as he stood trembling in the red snow. "See… if your twin brother Bane had had eyes like yours, me and that crazy maniac could have had a love connection. He had a set of shoulders that just didn't quit." She talked as she worked her hand toward the clasp on his collar. "But as it happened I fell for the Bat. He had the shoulders and the eyes." She allowed her soft voice to sooth the nerves of the animal as she unclasped the heavy chain that held him, she ensured her other fingers had a good grip on the wire muzzle that entrapped his face. "You have the Bat's ears you know. Maybe the two of you are related? I had to save his ass a couple times too." Selina smiled at the dog, "Maybe that's why I am a sucker for you, tall dark and handsome. I like the quiet ones that hide in the shadows. Or it could just be the pointy bat-ears, they seem to really do it for me."

When the chain slipped from his neck, Selina waited for him to react to his newly found freedom. The dog remained still and watchful, listening intently at her voice. When he didn't move, Selina slowly stood up. The dog backed away like she knew he would. She did her part and held onto the muzzle. He pulled against the last restraint, letting out a sharp cry as he pulled himself free. He trotted a few feet away shaking his head. Blood flowed freely from his face, but his spirits seemed higher as he dropped into the snow and rolled.

Selina smiled, "Do yourself a favor next time, don't trust anyone." Selina dropped the muzzle and pulled her fingers back through the fence, returning them to her glove. The dog sat in a deep drift of snow as he watched her walk away, the blood droplets freezing slowly on his face. Selina was three blocks away when she heard the sirens coming. She turned up the collar of her jacket and walked on.

xxxx

Blake and Gordon stood side by side at the scene. No one questioned Gordon as to why the ex-officer was present because there was no one there in a position to question the police commissioner. Gordon nudged Blake's arm. "Word is Catwoman is responsible for this little scene."

Blake looked questioningly at the commissioner, he knew Gordon had called him out of bed for a reason, but this entire thing was confusing. "I don't follow sir."

Gordon broke down the scene for him including the freeing of the Doberman. "Animal control has been chasing him since I got here." Gordon nodded at the approaching animal. Blake smiled as the dog ran past them again, his long legs allowing him to easily outpace the dog catchers that pursued him. Gordon pulled his trench coat higher on his throat, "I have a few other leads I will follow in the morning, but I wanted to loop you in on this just in case. We can't afford to leave any stone unturned."

Blake snorted, "Looks more like you are throwing me a bone, Sir." He was grateful that Gordon cared about him enough that he would help him try to get in better with Bruce, but he was also ashamed that the Commissioner felt he needed to. "Why not just tell Wayne? He is better suited to handle this anyways."

"No offense, but I tried to. Alfred was intercepting calls. He said that he finally got Bruce to rest and asked if I could have you follow-up on it." Gordon smiled, "It's a lead son. Now it's up to you to make something come of it." Gordon walked off. Opening the gate, he let himself through before shutting it securely behind him. He walked down the gravel drive to his unmarked unit.

Blake stood for a moment and then he smiled thoughtfully, "Did you say she was on foot Commissioner?"

Gordon called out to the affirmative as he got into his car.

xxx

Blake turned up the heat in his '92 silver Mustang and rubbed his hands together to warm them. His eyes remained focused on the fence. Here came the dog again, only this time the gate was open and the animal was through it in an instant. Blake watched the dog do exactly what he hoped it would do. The big black dog dropped his long nose to the ground and smelled, then trotted off to the west. It periodically lowered its muzzle to the ground as it ran. Blake grinned and dropped the car into first.

xx

Bruce stood at the windows lining his room, looking quietly over the city. Above the city was where he felt most at home. Looking down over the buildings and streets, above the noise and the grit, but still close if a situation called for him to descend into the fray. He found comfort sometimes looking out over Gotham, but it brought him no comfort tonight. No comfort could be had knowing that she was out there in the city and he was here alone.

He looked over at his bed and frowned. It was not the dreams of her that bothered him. Dreams he could handle. He knew that they were not real, that it was just his mind twisting her image into something she wasn't. Be it good or bad, it was still a facade and he could stop it, redirect it, wake up from it. But when the memories came, they destroyed him, made him ache inside. Like tonight...all that occupied his mind was their last night together in Corsica.

xxCorsicaxx

Walking with her to the room, she had been tired. She had rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. Bruce kissed her on the forehead as he slipped the key card into the lock. He encouraged her inside the room and smiled as she wearily crossed the floor to the dressing chair. She laid a hand on the back of it supporting herself as she yawned and covered her mouth with her other hand. He crossed over to her smiling sympathetically. "You are exhausted baby."

Selina nodded and smiled lightly at him, "Bruce, I am beat." She moved to remove her shoe and Bruce stilled her. He pressed a kiss against her lips and slid his hands down her sides to her hips, then her legs, then her calves. He removed the coffee colored stiletto heel cradling her left foot delicately in his hand as he massaged it gently. Her soft moan of approval encouraged him to deepen the pressure and he felt her hand in his hair.

He smiled as he released that foot and then slipped his other hand down her leg toward the other heel. She balanced herself and when she shifted he freed her from the other six inch heel. He repeated the process of gently massaging her foot with his strong hands. She reciprocated by gently threading her fingers through his hair. He loved her hands in his hair, her nails scraping gently against his scalp. Bruce slid his hands up her legs to the back of her thighs. As he stood he brought the dress up with him. No garters today he mused. He satisfied his own curiosity at the sight of her simple white lace panties. Like the outfit, it was classic, simple, and sexy.

This had been one of his favorite outfits she had purchased. It had driven him over the edge all day, the brown bands that curled around her, the cream fabric that clung to her. Stylish and elegant. Selina lifted her arms as he bunched the fabric in his hands and traveled it up her body. He let his eyes linger on the white lace bra and the soft mounds that overflowed it. His eyes slid up her throat to her face and he saw her eyes were closed. She had turned herself over to him and that pleased him more than he could describe. He freed her from the garment and tossed it across the chair. His hands slid around her sides and he kissed her gently before lifting her against his chest. She wrapped her arms over his shoulder and curled her head into his throat. He carried her over to the bed and laid them both across it. Resting her head gently on the pillow, he kissed her lips softly and then pulled the covers over her.

He forced his hands to stop, she was exhausted and despite wanting her he would wait. Selina obviously felt differently as she opened her eyes and regarded him openly. "You gonna make me beg for it, Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce looked at her and kissed her nose. "Would you Selina? Would you beg me to satisfy you?"

Selina smiled, her lips twisting into a sultry invitation. "Oh yes, Mr. Wayne. For you, I would beg. To feel your hands on my body, your lips on my skin…I would beg."

Bruce slid his finger along her jaw and smiled, "Then beg me Selina."

She raised her eyes to his and there was no humor and no jest when she asked him to please make love to her. Her simple request had turned him inside out. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her under him as he kissed her inviting lips. He kissed her jaw and he heard her voice again in his ear. "Please Bruce, don't leave me wanting you. Show me what I mean to you." He promised her he would and captured her mouth again. She broke away and arched against him lifting her hips against his. "Don't ever stop wanting me Bruce. Please…like we are right now...don't ever stop."

He hushed her, unable to handle the real insecurity and need he heard in her voice any longer. He kissed her lips until she stopped. He felt her hands working the buttons off his shirt and he let her push it open, reveling in the feel of her hands on his skin. She pushed him over onto his back and slipped her hands to his waist unfastening his belt and buttons of his trousers. She slid down his zipper and pulled him free from the restriction of his clothes. As she made her way back up his body he felt her warm breath on his skin.

His stomach clenched and he inhaled a shuddering breath as she took him into her mouth. He felt his hips pulse despite the command he had given his body to remain still. Selina slipped her tongue against the sensitive skin of his shaft and then he was the one begging. Begging for what he didn't know. Just...please. The word please, repeated over and again from his lips as he tried not to thrust into her. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he shook under the internal restraints. Bruce Wayne...Batman…billionaire lay powerless as a thief stole away his control and his coherent thought until he was left rasping her name and begging her please.

She finally gave into him and took him deeper until she had all of him and he was gripping the sheets with white-knuckled desperation. Then her name was the plea. He desperately called to her stop and she released him with a regretful pout and finished her crawling assent up his body. His hands cradled her hips and he guided himself into her. The sweet relief he found in pushing into her was indescribable. He shuddered as he felt himself slide into the warmth of her body. It was nearly too much as the moist heat enveloped him and he had to calm himself. He fought himself back from the brink and focused on her.

His hands settled at her hips as he pulled her in to match his every slow thrust. She rocked along with him enjoying the slower pace as he pushed deeper and she whispered his name again and again. The sound of her voice saying his name was intoxicating. He could never hope to explain to her what it did to him, to hear her say his name in that sexy breathless voice of hers. "Where have you been all my life?" she had asked him as she hovered above him, her breasts pressed against his chest, her hair falling against his face.

He smoothed back the wave of hair and turned them so she was under him. "I was practicing archery in the east drawing room, waiting for you to break in and rescue me."

Selina smiled, "I should have been quicker at it. Years...we could have been doing this for years Bruce." She taunted him with that fact as she kissed him and rubbed her face along his bearded cheek.

He slipped an arm around her waist, while the other cradled her face. "Neither of us was ready before. This happened now for a reason Selina. This happened to us now for a reason." He kissed her deeply before he took her the rest of the way.

x

Bruce shook his head clearing the memory from his mind, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared blankly out into the Gotham night. Even after all of that...all they were to each other... she had still left him...  _I just don't know where to go from here. What more I can do to make her believe. I have to be ready to face the possibility that there may not be a way..._

"Master Wayne," Alfred called him from the door, "I believe the missus has been located."

v

Edits by Cheed


	15. Chapter 15

Bruce watched over Selina as she slept. Granted, the sleep was drug induced and she was with him against her will, but at this point he would take what he could get and content himself with it.

The morning sunrise was erupting over the city of Gotham, the orange and yellow hues filled his expansive bedroom with their comforting color. Bruce sat propped against the headboard of his bed with the city at his back and Selina supported in his arms. She was resting quietly across his chest, both were still clad in the base remains of their respective suits. She in her black sports bra and panties and Bruce in his signature black boxer briefs.

He felt the similarity of awakening after battle in the Wayne Metallurgy as he admired the orange glow of the sun kissing her skin. He remembered how the shadows had played across her face, the look she had as they found each other for the first time. The want and the need...the guarded hope that had filled her beautiful brown eyes.

The fatigue of the past few days weighed heavily on him as he held vigil over her. He listened to her breathing and watched the rise and fall of her chest as he searched for any negative side effects from the sedation. He tried not to think of the look on her face as she succumbed to the gas. The angry resignation that he had seen in her eyes as she realized he had her. Her body betraying her as the tension left her muscles and she collapsed against his chest. Defeated. That was the word that best described her. He regretted that...he hadn't wanted that for her…for them. He knew that bringing her in by force had only dug the hole he was in that much deeper, but she was here with him now and that was all that mattered. "All is fair Selina," he whispered into her hair and pressed a soft kiss against her brow.

When Gordon called him from the junkyard and said that he had a sighting, he had told the Commissioner that he wanted Blake to take the lead. Then he suited up and went after him. He wanted no mistakes, it was the first hot lead on her in days and he had no intention of squandering the opportunity of finding her. He wanted Blake unaware of his presence. The less he knew, the less he would telegraph to Selina. Bruce needed the element of surprise on his side.

Gordon had stood by Blake and the instincts he had as an investigator. Bruce trusted Gordon's judgment on the young detective's ability, so he made himself trust in the kid again. If there was a lead on her, Gordon believed Blake would be the person to find it. When he did, Bruce knew that Blake would do everything he could to bring her in. Bruce had counted on that as well. The shame of his last entanglement with the Catwoman still burned in the young man and he was aching to redeem himself. If given the chance Blake would engage her and when he did, it would hopefully give Bruce the opportunity he needed to get her under control. He needed her quiet long enough for him to explain Corsica...long enough for him to reason with her...long enough to convince her to come back to him.

Blake had not disappointed. What he had seen last night from Blake had impressed him. Using the dog to trail her was a stroke of genius. I hope for the kids sake that the batarang's paralytic worked quick enough to save him some stitches. Bruce shook his head and smiled as he looked down at Selina. _Smart...beautiful...unpredictable and dangerous. You are a damn handful little girl._ He settled her closer against his chest and pushed a stray curl of hair away from her face.

Alfred entered the bedroom and Bruce reflexively adjusted the covers over her. It was not as if her modesty had not already been compromised. It had been Alfred himself that had cut her out of her leather suit, the six stitches on her thigh were courtesy of Mr. Pennyworth as well. Propriety be damned, Bruce would have insisted that his steady-handed butler be there to care for her regardless of her state of undress. Alfred obviously felt the same, as he had pushed Bruce aside when it became apparent she needed medical assistance.

"Master Wayne?" Alfred hesitated now as he approached, not wanting to intrude on their intimate moment. Bruce smiled lightly and beckoned him on. "She awaken yet, sir?" Alfred's voice was a whisper, but it still sounded powerful in the quiet of the bedroom.

"Not yet. It might be hours more, Alfred. She got an airborne dose and one directly from the batarang," Bruce answered him in a low voice as he looked down at her face.

Alfred sat down beside them on the bed and looked at her with concern. He momentarily considered asking Bruce about the possibility of an overdose, but it was apparent that Bruce was monitoring her closely and Fox was already on his way to the penthouse. Alfred held up an ice pack and Bruce lowered her away from his chest so Alfred could situate it over the spreading bruise on her upper chest. She stirred when the cold pack touched her skin. Her brow crinkled and she mumbled in discontent. Alfred glanced up at Bruce and smiled lightly, "You might better have a supply of those little gizmos ready for when she wakes. In case she does not find current accommodations to her liking."

Bruce's lips twitched as he looked at Alfred, "Believe me Alfred, it occurred to me to do that very thing."

Alfred patted his leg. "It occurred to me to lock both of you in the bloody safe room until you settled this nonsense." A light knock on the door drew their attention as Fox entered. He wasted no time on pleasantries or courtesies as he quickly crossed the room to check on Selina.

"Come right in, Mr. Fox." Bruce smiled at the abrupt entrance of his CEO.

Bruce's sarcasm was deflected expertly by Fox. "Mr. Wayne, you were the one that called me. Remember?" Fox held his hand under Selina's chin and checked her pulse as he looked at his watch. He rested a hand on her forehead and pulled back her eye lid with his thumb. He flashed a pen light into her pupil. He repeated the action on the other side and grunted in approval when she struggled away from the stimulus. He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling her scalp. He looked up at Bruce. "No head injuries?"

Bruce shook his head, "Not that I know of. She took a shot to the jaw and a couple of solid kicks though." Alfred huffed in disapproval as Bruce lined off Selina's injuries. Bruce glanced over at him and gave him a suffering look that spoke to how much he did not want to have this discussion right now. Alfred lifted his chin and folded his hands across his chest. Bruce turned his attention back to Fox. "She has a few marks across her back and a cut on her thigh. Might be from a dog attack."

Fox reached to move the cover away from her and looked up at Bruce. "May I?"

Bruce was taken aback by the gentlemanly courtesy. Given the current state of his and Selina's relationship, he realized it was not truly his permission to give. Propriety be damned again. He nodded at Fox to continue. Fox pushed back the cover and checked the wound on her leg. "Looks too clean for a dog bite," Fox muttered to himself as he examined the stitched cut along the outside of her thigh, "Not quite clean enough for a knife."

"Fence metal maybe," Bruce mused aloud. "Down by the dock. Lots of exposed metal. Everything is covered in rust..." He looked at Fox with concern evident in his eyes.

"I will get her a tetanus and start her with an antibiotic injection. The stitches look good." He glanced up at Bruce and smiled, "Alfred?" Bruce nodded and grinned in spite of the circumstances. Fox paused for a moment and removed the ice pack from her chest. His brows knit in concern at the large bruise.

"She was coughing up blood." Bruce offered the information as he was concerned she had internal bleeding.

He watched as Fox opened her mouth and peered in with the aid of the pen light. "Inside of her cheek is split. Probably from her teeth when she was struck." He flexed his hand, manipulating her mouth. "Jaw isn't broken and all of her teeth are still where they belong." He eased her head back onto Bruce's chest. "I may have to put a few stitches in when she wakes up." He replaced the ice pack over the bruise. "Ten minutes of ice, no more," he ordered Bruce.

"Mr. Fox," Bruce looked appraisingly at his CEO, "Why are you not _Doctor_ Fox?"

Fox smiled and patted his shoulder, "Who said I wasn't?" He gave Bruce a once over and saw no immediate concerns, "What is your current state of health, Mr. Wayne?"

"Never better," Bruce answered as he looked down at Selina.

Fox smiled in understanding and pulled the covers back over Selina before he stood. He glanced over his shoulder, "Very nice work closing that wound, Mr. Pennyworth."

"Well, I have had my share of practice, Mr. Fox," Alfred stated blandly.

Fox laughed and clapped the man on the back as they walked for the door. "I was rather hoping you would say your expertise stemmed from the superior first aid instruction you received."

"I see. You are fishing for a compliment then are you? Best put your pole and tackle away, Mr. Fox. There are no compliments to be had from me at this early hour." The men shared a laugh. Alfred hesitated at the door and flipped the switch on the window. The room immediately darkened as the tint on the wall of windows blocked out the sunlight.

Bruce settled the covers over Selina when he felt her tremble from the chill of the ice. His hand dropped to the remote by the bed and a second later the dormant fireplace sprung to life. Bruce listened to the fading voices of Alfred and Lucius and thought about the character of the men that had brought her back to him. Alfred…Fox…Gordon...Blake. Bruce shook his head. "Do you have any idea the measure of the men you have wrapped around your finger Selina Kyle?" Well one might not all be wrapped as tightly as the others...He smoothed her forehead and a small smile played on his lips. _Blake was probably not as big a Selina fan as the other men._ He grinned down at her. "Setting the dog on him was a dirty move, Selina. You really have no limits on the things that you are willing to pull, do you?"

x

xx

He had activated the GPS locator on Blake's cell and followed the signal from the junkyard to a convenience store a few miles from the docks. He left the Tumbler in the shadows of the building as he searched for a better vantage point on the store. Glancing at the sky he realized that he did not have much time. It would be getting light soon and he would need to get the car off the streets. He quickly monitored the interior of the business and got a visual on her at the counter.

His resolve solidified. _Screw the car. If it was lost, it was lost._ He armed the security auto destruct, before he fired a grappling hook up the side of the building. He hooked the line to his belt and returned his attention to Selina as he activated the pulley and propelled himself up to the rooftop. Using his momentum he slung a booted foot over the ledge and leveraged himself gracefully onto the snow covered roof. He felt himself slipping further from Bruce Wayne, the emotionality of the situation drained away and he embraced the cool detachment of the Batman. He unhooked and reloaded the grapple gun without ever having to look away from her. Fox approved upgrades to the cowl now magnified images digitally on the lenses of his batcowl and had made handheld binoculars a thing of the past.

Batman stood on the rooftop overlooking the scene. Selina drained a five hour energy and took a long pull from a bottle of water before leaving the store. Bruce felt himself soften when he looked at her face. She looked exhausted, her eyes were dark with fatigue and she was thinner. _God, she looked so thin._

He held a small device in his hand that sent an invisible beam of infrared light across the distance separating them. The audio laser surveillance was another impressive upgrade from the applied science division. He currently had it trained on her throat and the device picked up the oscillating frequencies of the sound waves from her voice which reflected it into an electronic demodulation system in the left ear of his cowl. That, in turn converted the signal into audio data. The distortion was minimal and he could hear with perfect clarity everything Selina Kyle was saying. From her first surprised curse when the dog came up to her to her soft monologue on the sidewalk.

Bruce had listened to her conversation warning the mongrel away from her and the emotional aspect of this mission flooded back. She had addressed the beast by a myriad of playful names ranging from Cujo to Scarface. When she called the muzzle scarred dog Baneiac, Bruce had nearly laughed aloud. He was left shaking his head at the levels her irreverent humor could reach. While he was relieved that she seemed physically sound, he had hoped that she would have shown more emotional despair…perhaps some light brooding at being away from him. Instead, Selina stood there leg cocked, arms crossed engaging in a conversation with a damn stray dog on the sidewalk. If not for the sadness in her eyes he would have thought her totally unaffected by their separation.

Her quiet whispers as she sweet talked the battered animal were undoing Bruce. Her message was honest but cruel, but her tone obviously soothed and comforted the suffering animal. In a hypnotically soft cadence her voice told the dog that he had been stupid to have followed her...stupid to have trusted her...stupid to believe she would ever bother to help him again. Bruce found himself sympathizing more and more with the hapless animal.

Despite all of her warnings the dog belly crawled through the snow and huddled, whining plaintively at her feet.

Her eyes softened and her mouth curled into a little smile. "Guys like you are ruining my rep. First I fall for Wayne…now you think you can worm your way into my heart too?" Selina looked at the dog critically, still keeping her distance from the animal. "I'm not petting you, so you can stop trying for that. And I'm not keeping you either so don't kid yourself on that either. I don't even have a home for myself right now." She glanced around the street and frowned before turning her attention back to the dog. "So what I am saying is...this is a one-time kindness."

Selina stood and looked down at the dog with a sad, wistful expression, "Your predecessors taught me better than to ever trust the likes of you again. You won't ever get the chance to use those teeth on me tough guy." Once bitten, twice shy Selina thought to herself as she turned and walked back into the store.

 _First I fall for Wayne_...Those were her words. Bruce blew out a breath and swallowed hard, realizing all hope wasn't lost. He watched the dog stand looking after her as she walked back into the store. The animal shifted anxiously on his front paws as he waited for her to return. "I know how you feel mutt. Stuck following up after the pieces of shit that hurt her in the past. It sucks to be us," Bruce mumbled to himself.

Selina stood at the counter talking to the clerk, she pointed behind him and Bruce watched as the man cleared out the rolling wheel of hotdogs that circulated under the broiler. Selina reached in her pocket and the clerk waved her payment off. She returned with food for the war-torn animal. Bruce had observed the cuts and various wounds to the animal's face and body through the lenses in his cowl. The clarity of the magnification was such that he could see the raw detail of the bloody gashes across the animals face. He had heard from Jim the circumstances behind the dog's injuries. Gordon had given him the complete rundown on Selina's nocturnal adventures.

Bruce tried hard to keep himself from imagining the scene at the Junkyard. From what Gordon told him it was a miracle she wasn't killed. He said the dogs were so out of control from Scarecrow's drugs that they had to be put down at the scene by animal control.

Bruce would later see for himself the evidence of how close she had come to being mauled. He had taken her into the saferoom in the interior of the penthouse and laid her on the steel table. Alfred slid off her heavy leather jacket and when he turned it over the garment testified to how incredibly lucky she had been. There were claw marks down the back, heavy gouges slashed through the biker insignia that had been hand tooled into the leather. Rows of puncture marks marred the bottom flank of the coat in the obvious shape of a dog's mouth. He and Alfred had shared a pained look over the condition of the jacket.

Bruce had turned her gently as Alfred checked her back for bites. To both their relief she only had a few welts and bruises. Bruce had held the coat in his hands while Alfred stitched the gash on her thigh. His eyes roved over the damaged leather as he said a silent thank you that she had purchased the armored motorcycle jacket. The name of the shop burned in his mind as he fingered the torn logo, Ferocious Ambush Cycles.

Gordon told him if not for her intervention one of the men would surely have been killed and countless others in jeopardy if the rampaging animals had escaped the grounds. Bruce had listened to Gordon as he powered the Tumbler toward the junk yard. His heart had thundered like a trip hammer as his mind imagined the ramifications had the dogs been able to bring her down...He thought of her handgun stashed away in the bedroom of the safe house and guilt gripped him. He never should have kept it from her. He had asked her to play by his rules…no guns. _What would I have done if I had driven up and seen her torn apart, lying in the snow? How would her playing by my rules have suited me then?_

x

As he watched her in the store, he saw Blake maneuver himself down the alley and settle behind a dumpster. He had taken her diversion with the dog and used it to his advantage, getting in position while her attention was occupied. Bruce prepared himself to take action.

She stepped back outside and the dog stood obediently, Selina walked over beside the building and unfolded the bag. The dog looked over his shoulder before returning his attention to the food. Selina tensed. She tilted her head and slowly crouched down to the ground as she poured the contents of the bag onto the ground.

Bruce knew her mannerisms, the tilt of her head, the set of her shoulder, the calculated control as she knelt. It was over for Blake, she was onto him already. Bruce watched as she turned her body, hiding her hand, she slipped a gloved hand up her thigh and slid down the zipper of her jacket. She had her goggles in her hand and whirled, sliding them on as she stood. Blake swept around the dumpster and slung a batarang. She dipped under it and grinned. "Come on…this is just getting embarrassing Bat Boy."

He reached for another and she smirked, shooting a quick look over her shoulder at the sound of an approaching vehicle. The Redline metro bus was pulling to the stop, Blake sailed another metal shuriken at her and she turned sideways letting it fly behind her back. Selina backed away warily and then stopped, her glasses had picked up the inferred audio beam. Selina followed the beam up to his position on the rooftop.

Bruce stood, allowing her to see him, watching for her reaction. Her lips parted and he heard the sharp intake of breath. "Bruce," she whispered his name and he could contain himself no longer. Batman stepped up onto the ledge, her eyes were locked on him. Blake's third attempt went a few inches wide of her shoulder. The sound of it whizzing by snapped her out of her reverie. Bruce cursed aloud, he had hoped Blake would land one while Selina's attention was on him.

Selina looked grimly at Blake, and Bruce heard her warning in his ear, "You better hang on to the rest of those Baby Bats, you are gonna need them." She took off running down the alley past Blake and when he moved to intercept her Selina gave the universal command to her companion, "Sic 'em." The dog wheeled from his place running at her side and launched itself at Blake.

Blake let the last two batarangs fly. When the dog collided with him it was dead weight, knocking him to the ground. Blake scrambled out from under it and pulled himself to his feet. A dark shadow streaked over his head. Batman. He smiled and started running after her, they had her now.

Selina ran like a woman possessed, darting down the alleys and scaling fences in a convoluted obstacle filled maze that was impossible for anyone to follow. Bruce Wayne wasn't just anyone, he was the Batman and he was pursuing her from the rooftops above. Bruce flipped his visor to infrared and monitored her progress silently as he allowed the technology of the cape and the cowl to compensate for her speed and agility. The heat signatures of her body alerted him to her position. Often just the faintest heat register from her body was left to guide him.

Now that he had a visual on her his eyes were drawn to her left leg. He could see a small line of bright white traversing the length of her thigh. Little white flecks of heat deposits trailed her and cooled to blue as they hit the pavement. She was bleeding. When he got closer he could see that she was favoring that leg. Not quite limping, but just slightly off from her normal gait.

He ground his jaw and considered his options. She was already on high alert so the element of surprise was over. He needed to end this soon as she had already almost lost him twice in the tangle of the streets that surrounded the docks. She obviously knew the area and eventually she would be able to give him the slip. Add to the equation that she was injured and tiring and those elements had the potential to create desperation. Bruce wasn't willing to chance what a desperate Selina Kyle might be capable of. Blake had the right idea about tranquilizing her. No better way to move a desperate, dangerous cat than by sedating her.

Bruce stayed high above her, moving silently as he waited for the right moment. He glided gracefully from rooftop to rooftop, keeping her in sight as he moved. His sensors picked up other heat readings and he felt himself tense. Selina was aware of them too. She dropped closer to the wall of the building fading into the shadows letting the men walk passed her. She must have made a sound or a movement that gave her away as the men heard her and turned back on her position.

Selina rolled with it, stalking intentionally out to the center of the alley, she turned on her heel and walked a semi-circle around them. "Evening boys." Her leather catsuit hid nothing as she swished her hips. Bruce had flicked back to night vision and found it difficult to monitor the men rather than just stare at her bathed in the soft green light of the sensors. "Either of you of you upstanding citizens working for Scarecrow?" He was close enough to hear her without the aid of the surveillance laser now. Her voice was light and conversational. It held none of the breathlessness he had heard in Blake's when he called to update him on her position. Blake who had been following her route on foot hadn't even been able to speak, he had just grunted when Bruce gave him their location.

Neither man answered as they squared off on her. Selina smiled as she flipped the lenses of her glasses up to rest on the top of her head. "Relax boys, I just want some information. Berserker...what can you tell me about it?"

The two men separated and moved to block any retreat from the alley. "Who wants to know?"

Selina stopped moving and swiveled her head, tilting it to the side as she assessed the situation. "You need me to introduce myself...really?" She tapped the ear shaped lenses and smirked. "You two are not exactly Mensa candidates huh?" When they didn't react to her insult she sighed. She walked in between them as the men maneuvered to flank her.

Bruce tried not to fall more in love as he watched her cocky self-assured strut as she tempted them to rush her. He smiled as he listened to her smack talking them. She would piss them off to a point they would charge her. She expected it...counted on it in fact. Her defenses were primed for it. Her fighting style was founded in Hapkido—the principles of redirecting energy. Turning a man's weight and strength against himself was what made her so incredibly effective at fighting.

"You two aren't even smart enough to be insulted. How sad is that? Poor me. All this sarcasm with no one intelligent enough to land it on." Her words finally drew the attack.

Bruce stilled himself as it unfolded. His mind working on the thought. _It's a very foolish man who rushes Selina Kyle...a foolish man who would invite her to defend herself...to engage her instincts...fight or flight. She makes men pay...every time... She has made me pay every time. When will I learn?_

He held himself still and watched even as his body ached to join her, he waited. They came at her, at least they had been smart enough to both come at once. Selina ran headlong into the larger of the two men. She slid sideways around him, as he blew by her she threw out her arm and hooked his ankle. She stood and heaved him off-balance, dropping him face first into the ground. She twirled around and gathered her bearings. The other man was on her as she stood and she was just able to snag his arm as she sidestepped his strike circling his swinging fist, she twisted his wrist. Pivoting her weight she jerked his shoulder out of joint as she slammed him backward down onto the pavement.

Three more men rounded the corner and Batman leapt from his position above into the fray. Bruce was desperate to bring her in, but not at the expense of her safety.

Hands grabbed at her, typical Italian leg breakers. Not the kind of thugs she would normally associate with Scarecrow, they were more the kind one would expect to work for a mob family. She could have shut her eyes and called it out. _Wiseguys. They were practically sweating marinara sauce._ Unfortunately, they were a better match for her than the first two. She dodged and parried the strikes, but several heavy blows landed true. Selina faltered as a large fist slammed her back over her left kidney. She found herself fighting on multiple fronts and she was losing ground.

One punch caught her on the side of the face and rocked her hard, she dropped down onto the cement and a booted foot slammed her ribs, lifting her off the ground with the force of the kick. Her breath rushed out of her lungs and she was only vaguely aware of rolling across the pavement. She tried to scramble to her feet, but another boot found her. This kick was meant for her face and she only narrowly avoided it, arching her back she sacrificed her torso and took the impact on her chest just below her collar bone.

The sound was a sickening solid thud and Bruce knew he would never forget it. His gloved hands landed on the back of the kicker's jacket and he jerked him up off his feet and slammed him headfirst back into the pavement. The hollow echo of the man's head impacting the cement was another unforgettable sound. Batman engaged the other two men. He blocked a shot to his head with his forearm. The hapless attacker shouted in pain as his fist impacted the metal fins that extended off the bracer of the black glove. Bruce kicked out at the other man that attempted to rush in on him. His booted foot contacted squarely with the man's face.

Bruce looked over at Selina and satisfied himself that she was not escaping before he finished off the other two men that had attacked her. He gave a solid smash to the jaw of the man she tripped. He landed back on the ground where Selina had originally planted him. The other victim of Selina Kyle was a younger man, barely into his twenties Bruce guessed. He was writhing on the ground clutching at his shoulder. The shoulder was out of joint, the bones were at a sickening awkward angle from where they should have been. The man shrieked hysterically as the Batman hauled him to his feet by the damaged appendage and he screamed again when he realized he was face to face with Gotham's dark knight.

"Berserker," came the cold demand of the Batman.

The man never hesitated, he started spilling everything he knew about the drug including the bounty at the fights and Scarecrow's newest operation. Bruce threw him to the side when he had heard enough. He turned back to Selina and knelt beside her as he slipped an armored clad arm under her torso, assisting her gently to her knees. He rasped out her name and reached a gloved hand to her face. Cupping her chin, Bruce raised her face to his. He was immediately alarmed at the blood that flowed heavily over her lips. Her eyes blinked lazily open at his touch and when their eyes met she lifted a curved brow at him and her bloody lips twisted into a smile, "Behind you handsome," came her husky whisper.

His head snapped around as the alley filled with men. Twelve more converging fast on their position. He gently released her and launched himself at the closest man. He tucked into a roll and took out his knees. The Batman sprang to his feet and leveled the second with a kick to his chest. It somersaulted the man into another thug that was running full tilt for Selina. Batman snatched a rifle out of the hands of another attacker and dispatched him with the butt of his own weapon.

He then reached into his belt and produced a small circular disk and flipped it into the air. The device detonated over their heads. A white gas smoked down over them. Scarecrow's men dropped in their tracks. Bruce glanced around satisfying himself that they were all out before returning his attention to Selina.

Selina had regained her footing and was slowly backing toward him as she pulled a fractured two by four from a stack of pallets. More men were running toward them from the other end of the alley. She spun her makeshift weapon until the tangle of nails that protruded from the end faced strategically toward the incoming men. She coughed and spat blood onto the ground. As she lifted the lumber to her shoulder, she turned to him and fixed him with a lingering stare, "You look damn good in that suit, Wayne." She winked at him and then turned back to the men running toward them, "Batter up," she whispered as she drew back to swing.

When she turned away from him, Bruce was on her. He snatched the club from her hand and scooped her into his arms.

"What th—let me go." She struggled against his iron grip, jerking an arm free, Selina threw an elbow, catching him across his unprotected jaw. Bruce glared down at her as he ran them back through the drifting white gas. He felt her frantic struggles cease and watched as her eyelids fluttered and her head dropped against him.

He heard the pursuing men falling out behind them as they tried to follow him into the grey haze of paralytic gas.

Bruce coughed lightly, careful not to inhale through his mouth as the gas residue tingled in his nose and throat. His brow furrowed, he shouldn't have felt any effects from the gas with the cowl's intake pumps running.  _Fox is going to have to find a stronger filter. ASAP_. It will be even more critical to have the filtration system running at optimum levels if he and Blake were going to disrupt Scarecrow's fight. Bruce had to assume that a chemical attack even stronger than the Fear toxin was imminent.

As the Batman strode out of the alley he pressed a button on his belt and activated the auto recovery for the Tumbler. Several blocks away the engines fired on the black vehicle and it began it's rumbling trek to their position. As Bruce stepped from the alley into the street, he realized that it wouldn't arrive in time.

Eight more of Scarecrows men advanced toward them, walking slowly down the center of the deserted street. Bruce's eyes cut to the shadows and he adjusted Selina against his chest as he activated his night vision. Dozens more huddled in the shadows, Bruce crouched low and looked down at the woman in his arms. His adrenaline spiked and his heart hammered as laid her gently on the ground.

Batman stepped over her and readied himself. The shadows on the side moved and all hell broke loose on the street. Bruce stayed low in front of Selina, ready to engage anyone that entered their space. His night vision showed six rushing towards them from the sides armed with axe handles and bats. He was momentarily thankful it wasn't guns as he braced for the impact.

It never came.

The men wheeled and stood between them and the riot in the street. Bruce scanned the area as he tried to process the scene. The battle was over before it even started. Scarecrow's men were battered and bleeding on the ground. The eight had been quickly overwhelmed by the twenty that had materialized from the shadows.

A woman's voice sounded out loud in the loud quiet calm. "Cable tie their hands," she ordered.

"On it boss," came a clipped reply.

Batman focused in on her. A Hispanic woman...late forty's, long black hair pulled back from her face, dark jeans and a black leather trench coat. The two men that responded to her orders were both wearing uniforms from the corner diner. He blinked around at the conglomeration of people. Young...old…black...white...latino...women...men…just the random population of the neighborhood. He startled at a voice beside him.

"She alright? " Blake stood beside him his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Batman looked at him and rasped out, "Tranquilized." Blake nodded and heaved another breath. He gave the young man an appreciative look from the depths of the cowl before growling, "Nice job tracking her with the dog."

Blake grinned and took another deep breath as he looked around at the people milling through the street, high-fiving and smiling. He looked at the damage the citizens had done and laughed, "This is my kind of neighborhood watch."

"Scarecrow sent in reinforcements." The woman walked up through the people and stood beside Blake. "They've been crawling around the neighborhood all day waiting for her." She addressed the Batman as she spoke, "She has been busting on their operation for over a week now. Word was they wanted her out of the way before the fights."

Batman stood impassively before her as the collection of people ringed around him. The murmur of excitement that ran through the crowd at the presence of the Batman man was familiar and unthreatening. _These are the people I fought to save, these are the people I spilt blood for all these years. They are Gotham._

The woman looked worriedly at Selina's still form, "She saved my oldest the other day. They were beating the life out of him. If not for her..." She shook her head and took a breath. "Well we weren't gonna let her go out like that."

Bruce sized up the woman and liked the fire and conviction he saw in her eyes.

"We aren't cowards Batman." She stated it to him plainly. "We aren't going to stand by and allow this to happen down here anymore."

The Tumbler rolled down the center of the street, her people drug Scarecrow's beaten soldiers to the side to give it passage. He knelt and slipped his arms under Selina's knees and shoulders. The Tumbler braked to a stop in front of him and Batman stood with Selina cradled in his arms. His booted foot hit the hood and the canopy of the vehicle slid obediently open as he stepped up onto the intimating vehicle. He hesitated and then turned to face the citizens of Gotham.

The Batman stood and looked over them, dark cape billowing in the wind, his war torn compatriot held protectively in his arms. Blake felt the goosebumps prick his skin and a fierce pride swelled in his heart as he looked at him standing there. The entire crowd felt it...was moved by the power of who he was...he was the goddamn Batman.

When the Batman spoke, it was directly to Blake and John felt himself straighten involuntarily. "There are more of Scarecrow's men incapacitated in the alley. Notify GCPD and hold them till they get here."

Blake nodded, "I know just the person to contact."

The woman gestured and several of her group broke off and disappeared down the alley. "Is she going to be ok?" She looked with concern at the woman in his arms.

Batman lifted the Catwoman closer to his armored chest and nodded. "Thanks to all of you." He looked around at the crowd, at the people of Gotham and took a breath, composing himself before he spoke. "This isn't over. Scarecrow will be brought to justice." His heavy gaze fell on the woman, "This neighborhood will be safe for your children again. I promise you that." A cheer went up as the Batman disappeared into the vehicle.

Blake stood there as the crowd erupted around him. He knew then that he would do whatever it took to make himself worthy of the cowl...to live up to the symbol that Wayne created...he would do whatever it took to become Batman.

With Selina still in his arms, Bruce reversed the vehicle down the street and wheeled it expertly around. He dropped a heavy boot on the accelerator and sped off as the sun began to chase away the night. Bruce looked down at the woman in his lap and forced aside the memory of Rachel struggling against Scarecrow's fear toxin. He adjusted Selina against him until he felt her breath against the exposed skin of his face. He satisfied himself that her breathing was regular and even. He slipped a batarang from his belt and placed it on the console. He needed time to get back to the penthouse and if necessary he was prepared to dose her again.

He was done screwing around with Selina Kyle. He was going to settle the business between them today, even if he had to strap her to a chair to do it.

Bruce guided the vehicle toward the penthouse and gunned it down the dark streets of Gotham. Halfway there Selina started waking. He felt her squirm in his lap and her head move against his throat as she started to struggle out from under the effects of the drug. Bruce wordlessly brushed the pointed end of the batarang across the thin ribbon of exposed flesh between her gloves and her jacket and watched impassively as she fell deeper under sedation.

x

Now here they were...Selina laying across his chest as Bruce waited patiently for her to wake so that he could speak his piece and face the ever increasing possibility that he would have to let her go.

x

edits by Cheed


	16. Chapter 16

Selina slid her cheek across the familiar warm shelf of Bruce's chest and a contented sound came from low in her throat. She turned her nose into his skin and inhaled as she smiled. Her eyes opened slowly as her mind tried to comprehend the sensory input. _What the hell_... Her eyes widened as they focused on the muscular, scar-laced torso of Bruce Wayne. She bit back a curse and gently tried to extricate herself from his arms. "Where do you think you're going?" came his familiar question.

Selina drew back on her knees and stared down at him in disbelief. "You drugged me!"

He nodded in agreement that indeed he had. She looked down and took in the fact he had stripped her to her underwear and glared at him again, "What was it? Rohypnol?" Her voice was laced with sarcasm and anger.

Bruce held back a smile, Sarcasm and anger…he would take those two emotions over fear and defeat any day. "Actually it was an airborne dispersal of a neuromuscular paralytic." Bruce strategically left out the second dosage she received en route. No sense in making it harder on yourself Wayne.

"Figures, you rich bastards would figure a way to roofie people in bulk." Selina pushed off the mattress and steadied herself beside the bed as she reconciled herself with her state of undress. A black sports bra and black boy briefs. _Selina, you have woken up next to a lot worse...wearing a lot less_. She winced at that truth of that particular fact and at the sudden pain that flared across her back. She looked up at Bruce and nearly winced again when she saw his watchful eyes monitoring her. This was a disaster...a complete and total train wreck.

Bruce watched her extract herself from the bed and tried to anticipate her response at waking next to him. He had spent some time thinking on it and had settled on several possible scenarios, in no particular order of predictability: 1. Running from him, 2. Slapping his face, 3. Kissing him, 4. An amalgamation of several and/or all of these.

Selina backed slowly away from the bed as she tried her legs. "Drugging women...is that typical in the social circles you travel in? Is that what makes you rich boys so successful with the ladies?"

Bruce frowned as he watched her edge away from him. _So running it is then Ms. Kyle…_ "I haven't found myself being all that successful with women in the past." Bruce gave her a pointed look and growled a command, "Stop." Selina froze and locked her eyes on him. Bruce swallowed dryly, "Selina, we need to talk."

"That is the beginning sentence to every conversation I've ever wished I had avoided." Selina muttered, glancing  over her shoulder to verify the layout of the room. _Two doors... 50/50 I chose the right one..._

Bruce exhaled in annoyance, "The one directly behind you will be the one you are looking for." He stood abruptly when Selina started moving, he called a warning to her, "If you are going to make a break for it, my suggestion would be to put on some clothes. Alfred and Fox are in the main room."

She snorted a laugh, "Please. I've worn less to my afternoon yoga class. But, since you brought up the subject, why am I next to naked?"

He nearly started after her until he realized she had walked past the exit and was headed to the bathroom, Bruce scaled back his response and stalked instead to the end of the bed and collected his robe. He shrugged it on as his eyes followed her. His frown deepened as he adjusted the familiar cinnamon colored fabric at his neck, "Your clothes were torn to hell and covered with blood. Alfred preferred that you not stain my thousand thread Egyptian cotton bed sheets."

She paused with her handle on the lever of the door and she looked back at him as he tied his robe shut, "He did, did he? Well then you obviously made the only sensible choice. Although...it does surprise me that a Bruce Wayne penthouse wouldn't have a spare room...one with cheaper sheets perhaps."

Bruce was not biting, "I don't sleep on cheaper sheets, so neither will you." Selina was left to consider the implications of that statement and after a moment of reflection a small smile twisted her lips and she felt a familiar tug in her stomach. _Oh Mr. Wayne...you do know all the right things to say._ His eyes softened and he reined in his frustration, "We didn't know how badly you were hurt." He looked down at her leg and then back up to her face. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner."

Selina shrugged, "It was my own fault. I should have known they would smarten up and come after me in force." She hesitated a second, "I didn't mean for you to get caught up in it." Her eyes glided over him, as she assessed his condition. _There had been so many of them..._ The dark purple smudges under his eyes along with his gaunt appearance seemed his only after effects. Her voice was soft when she asked to make certain, "Are you hurt?"

His mouth was prepared to tell her exactly how hurt he was, how much he was hurting now, but instead he shook his head. She nodded and quirked her lip at him, "Well Mr. Wayne, you sure look like hell."

Bruce coughed a laugh, "You aren't exactly looking your best right now either Ms. Kyle." He could not keep the amusement from his voice, she was so damn frustrating some times.

She laughed, "Then why are you standing there leering at me?" She cocked her head and her eyes danced, obviously pleased at the position her question put him in.

"Old habits die-hard," Bruce growled the reply as he folded his arms over his chest. For effect he let his eyes drop slowly down her body. The body paint was fading in areas, but its design was holding true and it created a strange shadow and texture to her frame that was suddenly very...very appealing. The design started at her collar bones and went down either side of her chest narrowing down her sides and collecting together again just short of her navel. The abstract pattern continued down the front of her right leg and the back of her left. Her back had a delicate trail of the same pattern that came from her hair line down the center of her back to her waist.

"See something you like?" she taunted him.

It was on his tongue to tell her that he was looking at Sigmund's signed death warrant as it was obvious he had painted the designs on her naked body, but he thought better of it. Sigmund was the one person Selina probably felt had been there for her through this mess. He knew better than to open that sack of snakes today. Instead he called out the other obvious observation, "You are too thin."

"You are too rich," she countered. Bruce blinked for a moment before the old adage surfaced in his mind, then he narrowed his eyes and sighed. Selina smirked, "One can never be too much of either, right?" She eyed him critically, "Except you...you are managing both simultaneously. Go eat a sandwich, Richie Rich. You look like a billion dollar skeleton." She tossed her hair when she turned to walk into the bathroom and his desire for her kicked over again. When the lights flipped on he heard her let out a curse.

Bruce appeared in the doorway and watched her silently as she assessed herself in the mirror. "Man you weren't kidding. I do look like hammered shit." She pulled at her frazzled hair and leaned in and looked at the swelling on her face. She grimaced at the boot mark on her chest. _Lucky I saw that coming or it would have been my face.._. She cut off the thought.

"I don't recall that being my exact quote Selina." He smiled tolerantly as she spun in the mirror trying to look at the marks on her back. She grunted in response, as she opened her mouth, and felt around at her teeth. Bruce had been in that same position many times and found it not at all amusing that this woman he cared for was repeating his familiar morning after assessment. His mood shifted and his face darkened. "Selina..." he began and she interrupted with an eye roll and an exasperated sound of frustration.

"Some privacy please." She walked into the other section of the bathroom and he heard the toilet lid raise.

He sighed in annoyance at her flippant attitude. What is this? Is she going to option 5—pretending nothing happened ...that it doesn't matter...what is her play?

"Can I get some clothes and some privacy please?" Her voice echoed out off the walls.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes and stalked across the dark marble floors to the walk in closet. He picked through several robes, his hand fell on one that was still in the plastic wrapper. A gift from Alfred years ago. He pulled the dark purple paisley silk from the hangar and smiled down at the BW monogrammed in lavender on the pocket. He started to resume their argument as she rounded the corner but her pale face had him crossing the dark black marble to reach her. She waved off his assistance and leaned against the counter as she tried again to get a view of her back in the mirror. He placed his hand hesitantly on her shoulder and could feel the spasms in her muscles as they twitched beneath her skin. "Selina?" His voice was clipped and he felt his heart pumping hard in his chest.

She braced on the counter and pulled in several heavy breaths She reached back to her left side and winced. "How bad is that...there ...over my kidney?"

Bruce looked back and buried beneath the dark ink was a deep purple bruise. The swelling was considerable and he barely brushed the mark and she was wincing and squirming away from his touch. She hissed out a breath, "So…that bad. Ok then." She forced her shoulders to release their tension and took a couple deep breaths.

Bruce was staring intently at her. "Talk to me Selina."

"Well, it looks like I am peeing Welch's grape juice so...my guess is some trauma to that kidney." She glanced over at him smiled grimly, "That one Italian guy really packed a wallop. I've been kicked by horses and had it hurt less."

"Do you need a doctor?" Bruce kept his hand on her shoulder.

Selina rolled her eyes, "We have both had a lot worse than this and you know it." She ran water in the sink and glanced over at him, pulling the robe from his hand she tossed it on the counter, "Thanks, now how about that privacy..." She looked down at his hand and he let it drop away from her, but he remained at the counter, leaning back against it as he watched her. She flashed her eyes at him and Bruce just looked at her with a tired expression on his face. "Fine by me, but watching a woman rinse blood out of her mouth isn't sexy," she warned him.

"Selina, this stopped being sexy when you described to me the color of your urine."

Selina dropped back her head and laughed. Bruce couldn't help the smile that accompanied her reaction. She looked at him her, eyes twinkling and shook her head. _Wayne can be funny when he wants to...damn him._ She captured a hand full of water and rinsed her mouth. Bruce handed her the porcelain cup that sat on the shelf over the counter. She mumbled a 'thanks' through a mouth full of water. He stood by her as she rinsed her mouth until the water went from red to pink and eventually clear. He handed her a bottle of Listerine gold and she winced. "Ugh...that is gonna burn like gasoline."

Bruce nodded gravely. "It will burn like ten kinds of hell, but it will kill the bacteria and clean the wound." Once again years of trial and error spoke to his medical knowledge. He leaned back against the counter and watched her as she poured a shot of the mouthwash into the cup and eyed it cautiously. Her trepidation at putting the liquid in her mouth was obvious.

"Sounds like you are speaking from lots of experience there, Bruce. You get popped in the mouth often do you?" Her eyes danced as she baited him.

He narrowed his eyes at her and smiled grimly, "With your quick wit and smart mouth I find it hard to believe you haven't been a recipient your fair share of times..." Bruce didn't like the sound of his own implications...didn't like the thought of someone laying their hands on her... _Damn it's a fine line to walk with Selina Kyle...I have to navigate the entire spectrum from being her protector to her ring side cut man...how am I to know when to be who?_  Bruce found himself loving the challenging of figuring it out. It was like discovering the combination to a puzzle box…it served to frustrate and infuriate, but he by his own admission was obsessive and above all he was determined... and she was proving to be worth the effort to understand.

Selina smirked back at him and laughed, "Indeed there have been times when my alligator mouth has overloaded my humming-bird ass." She sighed and looked at herself critically in the mirror, "But mostly I come out on top." Her face darkened and she dropped her eyes as she adjusted the water temperature.

Bruce was forced to wonder how bad the times were when Selina Kyle didn't come out on top... _What did losing mean for you, Selina?_

"You don't happen to have an extra toothbrush?"

Bruce slid open a drawer between them and there were several new ones laying in wait. Selina shook her head and picked one at random smiling to herself as she popped open the packaging. "Something amusing Ms. Kyle?"

She nodded as she waved the brush and batted her eyes knowingly, "Just admiring at how you playboys have extras conveniently lying around, for the morning after. It's very considerate... really. "

Bruce tilted his head and looked at her critically "Considerate yes, but convenient, well I don't think there is anything convenient about it. That particular style proved exceedingly hard to find." Selina glanced down at the toothbrush in her hand and looked up cautiously at Bruce as he narrated the specifications, "Small compact head...soft bristles...angled handle. Alfred spent the better part of a morning running that particular style down. He felt bad about leaving yours in Florence."

Selina took a deep breath and blinked at Bruce, her voice was husky when she spoke, "He shouldn't have gone to all that trouble."

Bruce flexed his jaw and looked at her openly, "I don't think Alfred feels providing for your needs is any trouble at all. Although he did not probably count on having to find a toothbrush custom fitted for an alligator mouth."

Selina tried not to smile and failed miserably at it. _Damn him._ Selina dropped her eyes back to the tube of toothpaste and was glad for the diversion. She preferred not to examine the hows and whys behind Bruce Wayne's interest and knowledge of her toothbrush preferences. She glanced sideways at him and imagined all of the other things he could detail off to her. The intimate familiarity he had with her baser preferences would most likely alarm her should she choose to think about it deeper. _Bruce Wayne was a quick study and the bedroom was damn sure no exception._

Bruce tilted his head and tried to read the look in her hooded eyes...the dark glint had him on a heightened alert. _Run, slap, kiss...something is coming._ She brushed her teeth as Bruce gathered the robe off the counter and shook out the wrinkles. Selina spat out the remainder of the tooth paste which was again tinged in blood. "Fox said you might need stitches in your cheek if you can't get the bleeding to stop," Bruce offered the assessment to her.

Selina raised her brow, "Fox? How would he know?"

Bruce shrugged, "It's all in the family here, Selina."

She gave him an eye roll and picked up the cap of mouthwash, "To you and your family Mr. Wayne. Skol." She took the liquid in her mouth and her hands gripped the counter as she struggled through the biting pain as it hit the open cut in her mouth. She held it longer than Bruce thought she would, but she paid the price. When she finished her eyes were watering down her cheeks and she was inhaling cooling air to sooth the wound.

Bruce handed her the robe and she noticed the monogrammed BW on the silk fabric. Her eyes lifted to the robe he wore and the letters stitched across the left breast, it had been his father's. She said nothing as her eyes drifted over the monogram on his chest. He watched her nail trail along the lavender thread as the TW on his own robe received her deliberate and calculated attention. He held his breath waiting for her curiosity to cost him the pain of discussing his father. Instead Selina returned her attention to the purple paisley silk in her hand, "Are you trying to mark your territory Mr. Wayne?"

He was grateful she let him escape her claws, taking a breath he shook his head, "You are not mine to claim Ms. Kyle, you seem to be happily on your own again from the look of things." Bruce watched her closely as she raised her brows at that.

She looked around herself and shrugged. "It looks to me like I am anything but on my own. One minute I am running the streets of Gotham, the next you have me prisoner in your bazillion dollar penthouse and are wooing me with custom tooth brushes and designer silks. If I didn't know better I would think you are trying to turn my head...or are you are just some obsessed stalker."

Bruce shrugged, "I saved your life...again, Selina. I brought you here to see to your injuries. You are a guest, not a prisoner."

"Ahhh. I'm a guest."  Selina smiled at that as she moved away from him toward the massive recessed garden tub. She looked back at him expectantly.

He nodded at her silent request. "Do as you please Selina, you don't need my permission."

She smiled at that, "Do as I please….Oh Mr. Wayne, I am the last woman you should want to issue a blank check like that to." Her eyes glittered as she flicked on the water. Five faucets flowed steaming water into the deep basin. The jetted tub was large enough to seat four, but Selina doubted that it had ever even held one. Bruce was more of a shower guy. She thought of _Florence…the safehouse...showering with Bruce Wayne was never a bad idea_. Her face flushed and she gave him a small peek over her shoulder.

His eyes were burning and his posture was tense. She wasn't the only one affected by their time apart… _good to know._ She stepped down in to the recessed tub, sitting on the ledge her foot testing the temperature, she let it remain in the water, as she draped the robe over the divide between the bath and shower. She tilted her head and looked back at him from over her shoulder, "So what is this really Bruce?"

Her voice was soft and it brought him closer as he walked over to the ledge that separated the bath and shower. He was still behind her but she didn't have to turn quite as far to see him. "What do you mean Selina?"

His voice was low and the timbre of it gave her chills. She pushed her other foot into the water and braced her arms on the ledge as she looked back at him. "Why come after me at all Bruce? I heard on the news reports that the charges against me were dropped. The Batman should have no further beef with me." Her eyes narrowed slightly and her words were clipped, "Unless your bimbo Treasury agent still wants me for that bank job?"

Her eyes were angry and hard, Bruce knowingly filed away another little tidbit on Selina Kyle before he responded. "The Monegasque Bank of Monaco was able to be convinced that prosecuting you wasn't a feasible option." His cool eyes bore into her and Selina realized again how formidable this man could be even without the cape and cowl. "The Feds were happy to take the credit on recovering the funds and for discovering the affiliates of the terrorist cell that overtook Gotham. The Bank was recognized for having contributed to that apprehension and the recovery of my money, a large chunk of which I am still allowing them to secure for me."

Selina's eye flashed and a small smile played around her lips, "That's magnanimous of you. I don't know if I would have let them hold my change purse, much less my billions. Their security is crap."

Bruce sighed and looked thoughtfully down at her smiling, "Actually it isn't, Selina. You are just that damn good."

Her face flushed and she looked away, "It was Fox's program that did the trick."

"Still can't take a compliment I see," he murmured under his breath.

She looked over her shoulder at him and he could see the sexy smile on her lips. _Stop looking at me like that little girl...this is tough enough without all my blood draining south._ He rubbed his hands together, his palms itching to feel her skin and he took a cleansing breath and continued to explain the process to her. "The Congressman was convinced to drop the charges and in return got to be the hero that unearthed Bane's plans for Gotham and was valiantly wounded in the process. His part in this fairytale will no doubt help get him reelected next term. "And then there is you…" He smiled fondly and looked away, focusing on the frosted glass beyond the tub, "Everybody wanted a piece of you, Ms. Kyle." 

Selina tried to look contrite and that only made Bruce's smile widen. "The FBI's file on you was thick. They had you tied to over seventy-five B&Es domestically, Interpol was convinced there was nearly one hundred more abroad." He looked down at her, "And you can only imagine how much the Treasury department wanted to get their hands on you...not to mention the CIA. They were already working in how to link you to the League of Shadows."

Selina lapsed into a knowing smile, "Oh I can imagine they were all desperate to get to me, especially the Treasury department."

Bruce blinked and his eyes lasered into hers, "Desperate is an adjective left best to describe me, Selina." Their eyes locked and her breath caught as she watched the rise and fall of his chest. "But yes, various government agents were very _intent_ on capturing you, thereby restoring their individual standings with their superiors in Washington. After you disassembled the unit assigned to intercept you, then broke the bank under their watch...well needless to say you gave the US Treasury a quite a black eye."

"I could have sworn I gave out more than just _one_ black eye." Selina smirked.

Bruce nodded in agreement, "They took that personally too. It took some persuading to back them off of you."

"Monetary persuasion I imagine?" Selina's smiled and shook her head again, "Money really can open doors and close mouths in Washington, can't it?"

"Not as effectively as blackmail, bribery and extortion." Bruce gave her a long calculating look, "But having money does help you get away with all of the other more effective methods of persuasion." He watched her and understood that while she was smart in the streets Selina had no concept of the politics that eventually purchased her true clean slate. Bruce took her down the path a little further, "Political influence, suggestions to persuasive people positioned in the right places, old markers cashed in, new favors I will eventually repay in one manner or another... all more effective than money. Most politicians bought their positions anyways. It's power not dollars that move the cogs in Washington."

Selina realized then what he had done, the extent he had leveraged himself to save her, to secure her freedom. She dropped her head in her hands and rested her elbows on her knees. She covered her eyes and shook her head in disbelief, "Bruce…" She only just managed to hoarsely choke out his name as the emotion clogged her voice.

He brushed off the activities as if they were the mundane requirements of a man in his position,"All well worth the outcome Ms. Kyle, I assure you. I was pleased with the final product, I hope you will be as well."  She dropped her hands and looked back at him, the question on her face obvious. Bruce smiled lightly, "You came out of this being what you were all along, the unnamed heroine that helped save Gotham city...that saved Bruce Wayne. Selina Kyle's FBI file no longer exists, neither does the CIA's. Your international data is wiped with Interpol, Gordon torched your local file in Gotham himself, although Megan did ask to keep your mug shot photos."

Selina smiled at that, the entire thing was overwhelming.

Bruce looked down at her and played his last card, "Fox even has a lead on a legitimate business proposition for you. You will be free to come and go wherever you wish Selina. From Gotham to Florence to...Timbuktu, your slate is clean."

Selina considered all that he had said. "That is a lot of influence you have there Mr. Wayne." She swallowed and looked back at him obviously taken aback by the magnitude of what he had done. Selina blinked up at him and bit back a question.

Of course Bruce saw it and he didn't let it pass, "You were going to say something?"

Her lips parted and she pressed them back together as she reorganized her thoughts, "I was going to say that I hadn't realized you were that powerful… but that isn't true." She gave him an approving once over.

"But you didn't realize how far my influence reached outside Gotham?" He supplied the words to her, careful to ensure that she didn't think he was mocking her naivety.

She answered with a shake of her head, "No. I had no idea. I guess I never even considered..."

Bruce's face remained impassive as he looked down at her, "Money only gets you so far Selina. I have something the government is very interested in and as it so happens they are very threatened by."

Her head tilted and her lips lifted, "The Clean energy project?"

He nodded and pointed at the faucet. Selina lifted up and stretched out a leg, tapping the handle of the faucet with her foot, shutting off the water. Bruce's lips twitched as he admired the lines of her body. Even in her whip thin shape she was still powerful and athletic. She had a way about her that made the execution of even the most mundane things that she did look deliberately graceful.

She felt the shift in him and her eyes went up to his face, she saw the want and the need he had for her and she shook her head. None of this made any sense to her. _How could he look at me like that and have done what he did. Why Bruce? Why turn me over and then go to all that trouble to clear me? Why were you down at the docks? Why were you still trying to bring me in now that I'm cleared?_

Bruce looked down at her and tried to read the expression on her face. He shifted his weight onto his forearms as he leaned on the ledge. "Selina, we have unfinished business. There are some things I am not willing to let go unaddressed."

"Is this you closing loops?"

Bruce held his face steady. "Yes Selina. In a manner of speaking... that is exactly what I am doing."

Selina rested her elbows on her knees and exhaled a breath. "Wouldn't this have been better left as it was Bruce." Her eyes glistened as she spoke. "What do we have to gain from this end scene?" She felt her heart hollowing out, "I had my own Clean Slate. Why not just let me use it? Why not just leave things be?" She stopped her voice before she said anything else that would reveal the true depth of her pain. 

"Because you deserve the truth and so do I. Selina, you are a smart woman," he laughed and looked back at her as he thought of how understated that was. "Smart doesn't begin to cover what you are Ms. Kyle." He pressed his lips in a tight smile, "I'm actually surprised you haven't figured out what happened in Corsica was a...misunderstanding." His jaw flexed on that word, misunderstanding. _Another grand understatement. It had been more than a misunderstanding...it had been a life altering fiasco, a litmus test of our relationship that showed the critical flaw in what we had together. Trust_

Selina watched him carefully as he spoke, her eyes fixed on his face. "There was a misunderstanding over what you overheard in the hall. I had involved the authorities to handle the situation with Fox's assistant. When Alfred and I were talking about the involvement of law enforcement it was in relation to her...not you, Selina." He looked for confirmation on her face that she believed him, she was unreadable. He waited several long seconds before he asked her if she understood.

She blinked up at him and shook her head no, "How did you know it was you and Alfred that…"

"Video." He cut off her question, and dropped his eyes, focusing on his hands as he rubbed them together. "Security footage of you outside Alfred's room. Your reaction made it glaringly apparent it was something you heard...Something I said...that set you off."

Selina swallowed hard and managed to whisper out, "But they were waiting for me at the bank."

Her voice undid him, the soft accusation that he could not deny. His guilt, had him pushing off the ledge and running his hand through his hair. "What happened at the bank…that was my fault, Selina. I thought I had them where I needed them. I saw an opportunity to leverage her to get you out of your situation. The Treasury department got greedy. Monaco wouldn't cooperate without a fall guy for the bank job." His jaw ground and his hands stilled as he looked down at her, the admiration shown in his eyes, "You did the right thing by taking them out, they would have caught you…arrested you. I couldn't have prevented it." He looked sick at the thought of it.

"You mean they would have tried. I knew the risks when I decided to go in there Bruce. Arrest was always a possibility. It was worth it to me to take the chance."

He stood rigid and straight as he looked down on her, "Even after you thought I turned you in, you did that for me?"

Selina's eyes sparkled, "Well, I will admit I was a little let down." She wiped a tear before it had the audacity to fall from her eye. "But you had faith in me when you had no reason in the world to, I figured you had more than earned the same consideration from me." Bruce sighed out her name and she blew out a breath. "Bruce do you mind..."

Bruce looked at her and blinked, as he realized she was asking him to leave so she could bathe. A woman whose body he knew in more intimate detail than she herself did was asking him to leave so she could undress and bathe. "You don't believe...?" He couldn't get the question to come.

Selina considered the ramifications of what she was going to say before she let the words out of her mouth. "I believe you." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat before she continued. "But a lot has happened since Corsica, Bruce." Her eyes were large and soft when she looked up at him and he knew their future was in serious jeopardy. She kicked her leg through the steaming water as she thought about Corsica and the days leading up to this moment. She had spent nearly every waking hour trying to divorce herself of Bruce Wayne...to make being alone again a functional possibility rather than succumbing to the self-destructive nature of who she could be. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a breath as she thought again of how many nights she had laid curled into herself, shattered over how empty her life was without him…how much it had torn her apart to lose him. _You are a survivor Selina...losing him again will be the death of you and you know it...stop_ _this before you get in any deeper..._

In a moment of deep despair she had awakened from a nightmare, shivering in the dark on a rooftop in the narrows. She had reached for her gun and was pained at its absence…fantasized about the weight of it in her palm...the final comfort that it could bring by ending her miserable existence. It was insanity to let those emotions back out of the cage she had forced them into. She looked at him again and the plea was in her eyes. _Just let me go this hurts too much._

Bruce forced air in his lungs and looked at her in disbelief, "What things? What does that mean Selina?" He felt himself on the precipice of a cavernous maw that was opening ever wider at his feet. His fall was imminent it was just a matter of how far and deep he was to plunge.

Selina sighed, "It means, Bruce, that it's time we both face who we are. I'm the thief, you are the boy scout and nowhere in this story do those two people find each other, they don't run in the same circles...they don't coexist...they never have and they never will." She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him. "The Bat and the Cat are where we connected Bruce, they are where we fit together. Maybe we should just leave it at that?"

Bruce shut his eyes and tried not to reel from the implications of her words. He wanted to shake her until she came to her senses. To show her the devastation that she had wrought upon him, make her understand that he loved her and that there was more to both of them than the dark forays of their alter egos on the streets of Gotham. But he did none of this, he just stood there and absorbed the poisonous venom of her words and accepted that he was defeated. He had known that she would resist...and then she would lock down. If there was one thing he could do, it was read Selina Kyle and know when she was ready for a fight. He could see her defenses were primed and he would be damned if would do what she was baiting him to do. If he went down, it was not going to be by the force of his own actions. _You just don't rush Selina Kyle...I can't keep making the same mistakes and expect a result other than defeat._

Bruce looked at her and gave ground. _There were victories to be had...even in defeat._ "Alright," he said softly. Selina, I can't keep doing this with you—extending myself emotionally just to have you shut me out." Bruce saw her shoulders tighten and her chin drop. "I spent the last eight years locked inside myself...when you came into my life...you freed me." He forced himself to look at her face as he spoke and he noticed immediately the gleam of tears in her eyes. _At least there was some feeling there...some emotion left to be had in her._

"When I look at you, Selina, I can see who I was. You are locked in a prison of your own creation, trapped behind some inner demon that is feeding off your pain...your fear. It's so powerful now that you can't break free from it...it is consuming you...making you believe that you aren't worthy of love." He paused, knowing this was hurting her to hear, "I know how afraid you are to trust someone with what is left of your heart Selina...to trust me with the fragile remains of what you salvaged after all that was done to you." He swallowed and fought back his own emotion at the thought of her childhood the devastation of the events that transpired there and he felt his own resolve strengthen.

She turned away from him, but not before he saw the tear slip from her eye. "I know what you are feeling Selina. I have been there. Believe me, I know how lonely it is in there…how isolated you are even though there are people right beside you that are desperately trying to show you that they love you and that you don't have to be alone. I can only imagine the nature of the demon that keeps you from me Selina. It must be something truly terrifying that it could hold a formidable woman like you under its control."

Her arms flexed and he saw a tremor pass through her body and she stayed faced away from him as another tear tracked down her cheek. He walked slowly over to her and sat down opposite to her. He spoke without looking at her, "Selina, I promise that I am the man you can trust with every part of yourself. I mean...damn it Selina, I am Batman...I'm every bit the boy scout you accuse me of being. I feed on justice...I bleed loyalty and fidelity." He brushed his knuckle up her arm and she looked over at him, her eyes rimmed red and glistening. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Selina, don't fool yourself into believing that it is me that you don't trust...you don't trust yourself. To love or be loved…and baby...I can't save you from that."

He slipped his hands around her waist and was relieved when her arms circled his shoulders, "You are going to have to figure out how to vanquish that demon...let go of whatever it is that is holding you back, because I love you Selina Kyle. With all my heart...I truly do love every infuriating, frustrating, beautiful part of you...and I desperately need you to love me back."

In a perfect world Selina would have told him she loved him too...they would have locked themselves into a passionate kiss and he would have ravished her for hours as they reveled in celebratory coitus. In that same perfect world, filled with balance and justice governed by rules and expectations, laws and regulations, Bruce would have walked away with an understanding...a commitment on what they were to each other, where their relationship was going...what they could expect from one another, but that wasn't reality. The world was many things, but perfect wasn't one of them. Gotham was a prime example of the imperfections that existed in the world.

So in the imperfect world that was Gotham, Bruce was left waiting. He would press her no further. She would have to come to him and tell him what she wanted...what she needed…what they were destined to be to each other. He would not rush her...it was suicide to even try. So he held her in his arms and was thankful for what he had. She was here beside him...She was safe and she knew the truth. She knew that he loved her.

He felt her finger drift to the monogrammed TW on his robe. He looked down at her and her eyes slipped up to his, "Your father's robe?"

Bruce nodded and didn't hide from what wearing it said about him. "Now you can add nostalgic and sentimental to my laundry list of character defects." His eyes had a hard time holding her gaze because his attention was drawn to her hand as her fingers traced the lazy loops of the initials.

Selina's lip twitched, "Defects? I wasn't aware that you possessed any of those Mr. Wayne."

"You call me a boy scout," He reminded her as he tried not to respond to her actions. Her fingers migrated from the stitching up the expensive Italian silk and slipped delicately along the folds of the collar skimming lightly against the skin at his throat. Eventually they journeyed back down the closure and ended over his heart.

She paused, suddenly aware of the laboring breath of the billionaire before her. "Do you think that being a boy scout equates to having intrinsic character flaws?" Her voice was a breathy whisper.

His eyes focused on her lips and he tried to answer, "It always sounds disparaging when you call me one."

Her lips curled at that and he found himself wanting to kiss the corner of her smiling mouth. "Boy scouts are sexy, Bruce. They are good citizens...they are always prepared." She smiled devilishly as he rolled his eyes at her teasing.

"Yes, that is not at all disparaging," Bruce rasped out. He found his control slipping, it had been too long and she was too close. As her fingers teased his chest her other arm remained loosely circled around his shoulders. His hands flexed at her waist as he imagined the feel of her skin against his palms.

"My sexy boy scout." She smiled at him her eyes sparkling, "But, I'm not the only woman you have panting after you though, am I?" She waited for his response and he only gave her a small indecipherable sound as he leaned into kiss her. She held him away with the hand at his chest and fixed him with a heated look, "I didn't like that bimbo agent putting her hands on you, Bruce."

He tilted his head and tried to pull his focus off her lips and onto what she was saying, "Pardon?"

Selina gave him a knowing look," The treasury agent with the enormous rack...I didn't like her touching you." Her brown eyes held a mix of jealousy and longing that had him struggling to pull air into his lungs.

"Did you not?" His voice was neutral but his body was already tuned into responding to her.

Selina set her jaw and shook her head. "No, I certainly didn't. And I didn't like, that I didn't like it."

He swallowed thickly, "How did it make you feel? Seeing another woman with me?"

She considered this carefully before she answered, "Jealous...angry...hurt."

Bruce felt relief bloom in his chest. _This is Selina Kyle, staking her claim. About damn time, Selina. Go on and do it._ "Why did you feel that way? You thought I betrayed you...you should have hated me." Bruce held his breath as he waited for her response.

"I was jealous, because I still wanted you. I was hurt, because I knew you didn't want me." Her voice was low and her eyes turned predatory. "I was angry...because someone unworthy of you had the audacity to put their hands on you."

Bruce waited a beat and looked at her intently. "And now...now that you know I never betrayed you...now that you know that I never stopped wanting you..."

"Well now Bruce I am even more upset...because that means she was touching something that belonged to me." Her fingers trailed along the fold of his robe and she got the reaction that the agent had tried and failed to elicit, his quick intake of breath and the dilation of his pupils as he leaned into her.

"I'm glad it happened, Selina," Bruce whispered. "And I'm not a bit sorry that you are jealous."

Her head tilted and her eyes narrowed as her fingers stalled. "And why is that?"

Bruce kissed the corner of her mouth and let his lips drift to her cheek and linger on her skin. His breath was warm on her cheek as he spoke, "Because that tells me you care about me...that you would fight to keep me, it tells me everything I need to know about how you really feel."

Selina felt herself shiver at the closeness of his body and the tone of his voice. She tightened her arm around his neck and his arms immediately pressed her to him. _He deserves more than that from you Selina_ , she scolded herself. "Bruce I am no good at expressing my feelings..."

He smiled against her cheek and whispered, "Really? I hadn't noticed." He held her tightly as his back absorbed the retaliatory swat that came in response to his sarcasm. He chuckled, "Selina dear, you are absolute shit at expressing your feelings, but this... this is a start." He felt her smooth her face against his and he loosened his embrace and was rewarded with a delicate kiss on his mouth. Mindful of her injuries, Bruce held her close and told her again that he loved her.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Selina stepped into the deep tub and sat gratefully down into the swirling jets of water. She exhaled in relief as her sore body was soothed by the pounding water.

Bruce was knocking on the door after what seemed like only a few minutes and Selina realized she must have drifted off, her skin had pruned, but the water was still hot from the heater. _God the rich have it made_. Another knock. "Yes dear," She called out to him.

He groaned at the door and she heard a muffled expletive, "Now you start the terms of endearment? Really?"

"Hun...you started it when you called me baby. What is it that you need?" Selina grinned as she turned off the jets.

She could hear the smile in his voice, "Alfred said to move your ass, lunch is ready."

"I most certainly said nothing of the sort Miss." Alfred called out through the door. "And I will thank you, Master Wayne, to not be brought into your domestic entanglements." Selina grinned at the scolding Bruce was taking from his butler. "Ms. Kyle, how are you feeling? Better I trust?"

"I am great, Alfred. Famished actually. I apologize for keeping you waiting, I will be a few minutes more, I was enjoying the tub so much, time got away from me."

"Very good, Miss. No apologizes required, we are completely at your disposal." He nodded at Bruce. "Manners, Mr. Wayne. You should try them some time. You might have better luck convincing the Missus to accompany you home nights." He looked down his nose as he spoke, "As an alternative to your current technique of chemical warfare."

Bruce smiled at Alfred, "It was a paralytic, Alfred not mustard gas."

"Indeed. Sir, I stand corrected. I suppose I should be thankful Fox doesn't stock Napalm," Selina laughed at Alfred's plucky repartee as she forced herself out of the tub. _I will be back for more of you...and that is a promise._

Bruce waited until he heard the water draining. "Are you decent?"

"I am."

He entered as Selina was closing her robe and he got a flash of her thigh and he nearly groaned. It was not like she hadn't been splayed over him for hours earlier, but damn it seemed like forever since he had last made love to her. _Patience...Bruce._ "You have a visitor." He opened the door further and her eyes widened as the Doberman rushed up to her, Selina stiffened and pressed back against the counter. Bruce gave her an amused look, "I thought you two were old running buddies?"

Selina rolled her eyes and smirked, "We only ran that once and it was just for a few feet before he pounced on your little bat buddy." She relaxed marginally as the dog backed away out of her space, "Speaking of, how is number two doing today?"

Bruce shook his head as he handed her a bundle of personal items, "Courtesy of Alfred." He gave her a critical look, "You might want to cool it on the insults. You are giving Blake an inferiority complex as it is."

"He is inferior," she offered the insight as a way of an explaining her actions and as a residual compliment to Bruce.

He sighed and rubbed at his temple, "That's why I came back, to work with him, to get him ready to take over."

Selina laughed as she picked up her hairbrush, "Yeah, alright."

Bruce looked at her expectantly, "You have something to say to the contrary Ms. Kyle?" She shook her head and grinned at him brushing her wet strands out and flinging them carelessly over her shoulder where they fell in long stringy curls against her back. Bruce looked at her and folded his arms over his chest. "Talk."

She laughed, "You are back Bruce, because you are awesome at being the Bat and because it is what you were born to do. You had an eight year hiatus now it is going to be on ten ways to Sunday in Gotham. Criminals beware." She grinned at him through the reflection the mirror as she toweled through her hair again. I might just go warn them myself, because it's not going to be a fair fight when you hit the streets again."

Bruce looked at her as a small smile spread across his face. Since he started this no one had approached his involvement like this. Selina was happy for him, proud of him, excited for him.

She laughed, "Stop looking at me like I just threw a cog in my brain and don't even try to tell me I'm wrong either." She wiped the counter with the towel and deposited it in the hamper. She leaned up against him as she passed by and whispered, "Have you ever seen a person doing what they were meant to do...it's beautiful. When you put on that suit, Bruce... _you_ are beautiful."

He held her steady, his arm at her waist as his jaw flexed. "Selina, whatever happens between us...between Bruce and Selina...I need to know that we will always have the other side of us." His eyes bore into her, "You were born to be the Cat. The things you do...what you have done for Gotham...for me. I have to know that I won't ever lose that."

Selina smiled and wrapped herself in his arms, "I have it on good authority that the Cat loves the Bat."

Bruce felt his mouth go dry and his eyes pinned her down, "She does, does she?"

Selina smiled, "She is a sucker for the pointy ears. You can ask anyone," She looked down at the dog and smiled, "Isn't that right, Ace?"

The dog looked at her expectantly, waiting for her direction. Bruce smiled at her and when she turned back to him he was pressing a soft kiss on her mouth and his hands slipped down to encircle her waist. Bruce grinned and pressed her against him, "You realize you just said you love me..."

She smirked and wiggled out of his embrace, "No I didn't...and don't start something we can't finish, Alfred is waiting and I haven't eaten in days."

He let her pull away, bemused by the mischievous smile that covered her face as she disappeared around the corner of the bathroom. "You said it Selina," he called out to her.

"No I didn't! Privacy please!" she yelled out in return.

Bruce laughed. "You heard her, didn't you mutt?" Bruce shook his head at the dog, "Come on, Ace. She wants privacy." The dog grudgingly followed him out of the room when Bruce snapped his fingers.

xxx

Blake drifted off into the living room while Selina had her reunion with Fox and Alfred in the kitchen. Feeling very much the outsider as he sat alone on the middle of the large black couch, until Bruce eventually joined him. He dropped down across from him in a deep black leather chair. "You get any sleep?"

Blake shook his head, "Naw, not yet." He lifted the black nylon leash in his hand. "Been at the vet all morning."

Bruce looked at him intrigued, "That's kind of you, considering last I saw he was trying to rip your throat out."

"He was just doing what she..." Blake trailed off and coughed in his hand narrowly avoiding a disparaging remark about Wayne's love interest. "He was having a rough night." Blake was grateful that Bruce seemed amused over the situation. _Guess their reunion went well…maybe now he will be able to focus on the important things at hand._ He cleared his throat and shrugged, "I couldn't just leave him laying there in the snow, I mean I could have I guess, but...I figured she would expect me...us to help him…it..." He gave up on the explanation as Selina walked into the living room, the dog trailing obediently at her heels. She smiled at him and Blake felt himself bristle. It wasn't a real smile, it was more like she was bearing her teeth... _I just do not get what he sees in her._

"Officer Blake...I didn't realize you took an assignment with the canine corps." She looked down at the dark animal that sat loyally at her side. She crossed her arms in the long purple robe and looked up smugly from the dog. The Doberman's eyes never left her face as she spoke.

Bruce looked over at Blake with sympathy. _Selina could be a handful and a damn half on a good day and she was cutting this kid absolutely no slack._

"Actually, I figured since it was your fault that he got drugged that _you_ would want to take care of him." Blake shot back gamely.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him again, "My fault? I see you are having a problem keeping score. Me and the mutt are even-steven. I got him out of his jam and he got me out of mine. But, your math deficiencies aside, Blake just make sure you subtract your little addition from our equation when you go home. "

Blake looked over at Bruce for help and found none. Bruce stared back and shrugged. "You look like the kind of guy that would like a dog. Your building allow animals?"

Blake looked down at the large black dog, "No, just cats." The words were out of his mouth before realized what he said.

Lucius chuckled as he walked up behind Selina. "Sounds like your kind of place Mr. Wayne." Bruce and Selina both laughed at that. Lucius kissed her on the cheek, "Dear, you need to set aside about three hours tonight to run through the hardware in your new suit. Plus I want to spend time with you and show you Applied Sciences."

She stood and hugged him, kissing him resoundingly on the lips. "I will be there. Thank you, Lucius."

He held her tight for a long moment, "It is a relief to have you back." He patted her back and his eyes glistened as he released her. He glanced over at the two men and Bruce understood the emotion that was claiming his CEO.

"Thank you Mr. Fox." Bruce stood as his CEO waved off his appreciation.

Fox donned his wool beret, "Mr. Wayne your new filter is being assembled now and will be ready to implant at your convenience. Mr. Blake, your modifications are going to be more time-consuming, but I should have the fix for the cape tonight." He gestured with a folded piece of paper that he tucked into the breast pocket of his leather jacket.

Blake looked at him and frowned, "Modifications, what do you mean?"

Fox walked down the hall to the elevator, "I will let Ms. Kyle go over the specifics."

Selina smirked down at Blake and Bruce rolled his eyes. This was going downhill quick and Fox was obviously not sticking around to help."What did you do Selina?" Bruce asked her the apprehension obvious in his voice.

She looked at him in mock disappointment. "I am trying to help your...assistant or sidekick or whatever you want to call him." She looked down at Blake again from her high perch on the arm rest of the sofa and smiled. "Obviously somebody needed to."

Blake stood abruptly and pointed at her, "Do you have something to say? Then say it." The low growl from beside her leg did nothing to calm the situation. Blake hadn't spent four hours in the vet's office and maxed out his only credit card to have that damn dog growl at him. He glared down at the animal and the growl deepened as the dog stood between Blake and Selina.

Selina cocked an eyebrow and waited to see what would happen.  _My...my, but he is an emotional one indeed. Delightful! After dealing with Wayne, it is refreshing to find a man so easy to manipulate._

Bruce rubbed his temples and wondered if he was destined to become a referee between the two. "Knock it off, both of you." His booming command elicited another low growl from the dog. Bruce stood up and looked hard at the dog. His stare was intentional and deliberate and his eyes stayed locked on the dog until the Doberman looked away and settled back at Selina's feet. Selina did her best not to let on to how much that had turned her on, but she obviously failed because Bruce gave her a smoldering look in return that twisted her stomach into a knot.

Blake shook his head and made for the door. Alfred was between him and his destination, casually drying a glass as he watched the exchange, "Mr. Blake, if I might be so bold as to suggest that you hear the Missus out on this. I was privy to a bit of the conversation between she and Mr. Fox. I believe they might be on to something." His calm eyes and cool demeanor settled Blake and if only for the sake of respecting his elder, Blake turned and faced Selina. He took a step back into the living room and threw up his hands.

Selina laughed, "Well sweet talker, I will tell you...but only because you asked so nicely." She walked out behind the sofa and faced Blake. She pointed a finger for him to come in front of her. Blake walked warily over to her and the dog stood again, sensing the hostility between the two people. Bruce snapped his fingers and the dog laid its ears back and settled obediently down to the floor. Selina looked at Bruce again and grinned, "You have quite a way with animals, Mr. Wayne." She gave him a salacious grin as she took in his casual posture, sitting easily in the leather chair, elbow resting comfortably on the arm rest supporting his chin, his finger curled over his lips. He did not respond, his index finger merely tapped on his lip as he watched her intently.

Blake stood in front of her waiting impatiently. Selina's smile shifted when she turned to Blake and it became positively deadly. "So firstly…you are completely graceless when you put on the suit."

He spun on his heel and made to walk off. Bruce cleared his throat and looked at him. "Blake, hear her out. Selina, knock off the insults."

"That wasn't an insult Bruce, it was an observation. But fine." She gave him a curt nod before turning back to Blake. "The cape is too long for you," she stated it without further fanfare or offering of any other explanation.

Blake shrugged, "So this is about how I don't measure up to Bruce Wayne?" He laughed "We all know that I don't. I know that I don't. But you want to drive that home on me, that I don't measure up...not even in height?" He smiled grimly at her, "Thanks lady you have been a great help to me."

Alfred laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hear her out," he gave Selina a hard look, "Miss Kyle, if you mean to help him then may I suggest you actually try to be a help of some sort?"

Blake turned to go and addressed his comment to the elder butler directly, "Alfred, I don't need or want her help."

Selina slid up silently behind him and spun him deftly as he attempted to walk away, all humor was gone from her face, "You may not _want_ my help but you damn sure _need_ it, because if you get out there and shit goes the way it went when you took me on, then you are putting more than just yourself in jeopardy. Believe me Baby Bats you do not want to have to face me if your fuck-up is the reason Bruce doesn't come home."

Blake felt the crimson flush climb up from his throat into his face and Selina smiled tightly, "Now that I have our attention I will continue. You are 5'10", Bruce 6'1". Those are facts, not insults. Your fighting styles are totally different. As he trains you they may come closer together in form or it may be your physical differences that dictate your stances. Bruce's knees are blown to shit." She looked over at Bruce and clarified her words, "That's a fact darling, not an insult."

Bruce smirked from under the finger that still covered his lip. She grinned and returned her attention to Blake, "He remains more upright in his fighting stance. It reduces the compression on the joints, also from what I've seen, he incorporates Muay Thai street fighting into a lot of his attacks. That style starts with a more up right stance by nature." She unfastened her robe and slung it out behind her.

Blake was completely taken aback by that as were the others. Bruce was grateful she had utilized Alfred's choices in under garments. A deep purple sports bra and matching compression running shorts. She gave Blake a glare as he looked down at her body. "Pay attention junior, I'm only going over this once." She demonstrated Bruce's attack position. "Bruce—Muay Thai," she cocked her head at him, "Got it?" She continued without waiting for his response. "Now you. You have a boxer's stance. Low, feet staggered, bent at the knees, leaned forward at the hips. Too far forward FYI," She muttered under her breath as she demonstrated his stance. "You see the difference?"

Blake shrugged and nodded.

She kicked her foot behind her catching the pooled fabric of the robe, flinging it loosely behind her. "The cape is all ready too long, designed for a man 6'1" coupled with your low fighting stance it instantly becomes an obstacle. The first time you have to maneuver..." She crouched into his form and stepped back onto the flowing robe and it pulled her shoulders backwards, "Your balance is compromised and you are done." She stepped off her robe and adjusted it back over her shoulders. "Add to that that you are wearing fifty pounds of suit you haven't conditioned yourself to carry and you are starting off at a disadvantage where your balance is already a concern. You stand no chance in a fight." She tied the robe together and looked at Blake expectantly. "Questions? Comments? Concerns?" She titled her head and made a small unhappy noise when Blake said nothing. "Very well. That concludes our session today, Grasshopper. Namaste." She pressed her palms together and gave a light bow. "Sir Alfred, where are we with lunch? I am literally starving to death... Seriously, I am bones."

Alfred held his hand out to her, "I noticed Miss Kyle and I am none too pleased. But I do have the cure for you though. Left over vegetable lasagna, it is heated by now I would imagine." He ushered her into the kitchen. "It will be good to see you eat now that you don't have the worry of maneuvering through bloody bank vents." Selina laughed and agreed as she promised she was going to eat the entire pan by herself.

Blake watched her walk out of the room and he looked over at Bruce. They shared a long moment of silence and then Bruce tried to soften the message, "What she says makes sense, Blake. She has seen you in action."

The younger man pursed his lips, "Kicked my ass in a fight you mean?"

Bruce stood and looked at him, "I said exactly what I meant Blake. I am not going to make excuses for Selina, she is a grown damn woman. But what she just gave you will be the most honest and direct an assessment as you will ever receive. God knows she doesn't sugar coat anything. "

Blake rubbed his brow and looked at Bruce. "I don't think I'm ready to go in tonight with you."

Bruce nodded and pressed his lips, "If you don't think you are then best you don't." He walked past him and the dog stood to follow. Bruce snapped his fingers and the dog sat again. Bruce pushed into the kitchen and Blake heard him tell Selina she was going to have to share her food with him, and he heard her laughing response as she told him she wouldn't.

Blake looked down at the dog and he looked back up at Blake. "What do I do now?"

"You bloody well pull your head out and do what they tell you to do." Blake turned to face Alfred and was surprised by the fire in the old man's eyes. "Come with me and bring your furry companion as well." Blake grabbed the lead off the back of the sofa and hesitantly clipped the leash on the dog's collar. The dog looked at him worriedly when he led him away from the kitchen and Selina. Alfred took him down the hall and showed him into a remote bedroom. "Here, lie down and get some sleep. I will wake you in time to accompany them to Fox's. No dogs on the furniture." He looked at Blake critically, "Have you eaten?"

Blake looked at him and dropped his eyes, "I'm not hungry."

"That was not my question. I swear, I am about bloody tired of the hunger strikes in this household. Now, have you eaten? Yes or no?"

"No sir," Blake quickly answered him.

"Get cleaned up and I will have you something waiting. Things will look up after a hot shower, food and a few hours rest. I promise it."

Blake watched him go and slowly unbuttoned his plaid shirt. He had just got handled by everyone in this house, from the butler to the dog. He glared at said dog as he walked into the bathroom, they both regarded the other with looks of disappointment. When Blake shut the door between them, the dog huffed and returned his nose to the crack of the door and waited impatiently for his release.

Blake returned from his shower to find a mat on the floor with a water bowl filled and the dog staring expectantly at a covered dish on the cabinet. Blake uncovered it to find eggs, toast and fruit and a sealed container of raw cubed meat for the dog.

Alfred left a note-

Mr. Blake-

You were chosen for a reason. I expect that you are facing a choice—whether to rise to the honor that was bestowed upon you or shrink into the shadows and be less than your destiny demands. You cannot however do both. So stand with them...learn from them...fight beside them. Or walk away. There is no shame in being common, Mr. Blake, it is with the common man that destiny can truly reveal itself. For if the common man rises and fashions himself to be more than he was bred to be...then fate will eventually see him become legend.

AP

xxxxxx

Selina sat on the stainless steel table and dangled her legs as Bruce rummaged through a tool box. He glanced up at her several times as her eyes flicked around the room. "Does it meet with your approval?" he asked her not really knowing what her response would be. Only hours before she had been unconscious and bleeding on that very table. He did not elect to share that detail with her.

She smiled, "it doesn't meet with my _dis_ approval." It was smaller than the safehouse's arsenal area and was missing the gym equipment and sacks of money, two of her favorite things. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all a metallic blend. It was all very hard, cold and functional...very Batmanish.

Bruce had changed into a black t-shirt and black gym shorts, while she still was wrapped in the loaner robe. She watched as he limped over to the table and laid out his knee brace. She toyed with the buckle that had given out. Bruce pulled it away from her gently allowing his hand to brush hers unnecessarily and she smiled at him. "You want me to call Fox?" she offered. When he looked at her strangely she gestured to the brace, "See if he has another to issue you." She adjusted herself over to give him room to work on the disassembled apparatus.

Bruce hummed under his breath. "No I think I have got it figured out." He slipped the fatigued buckle off and pulled a new one off of a Kevlar suit in the corner. He dropped a red tag on the suit and wrote 'MIA buckle left rear tie down.' He returned to the counter and compared it for size. She was silent as he worked and eventually he looked up at her in expectation. "Did you have something you wished to discuss, Ms. Kyle?"

Selina cleared her throat and shook her head, "Ah no...not really." She pushed herself off the table and Bruce grasped her by the hips and returned her to her perch. "That was not me telling you to go, Selina." He looked at her closely to ensure she understood. "That was me trying to engage you in conversation and obviously doing a crap job at it."

He returned his hands to the brace and Selina smiled at him. "You are a little overly critical of yourself aren't you?"

Bruce laughed, "You think you are the only one with a critical eye for detail, Ms. Kyle?"

Selina smirked, "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Bruce chuckled, "You know exactly what I mean. The way you lambasted my replacement…it was rough, even for you."

Selina snarled a lip, "Don't call him that."

Bruce chuckled again as he adjusted the tension on the strap, "What? My replacement? That's what he is Selina." She rolled her eyes and started to push off the counter again and Bruce intercepted her. "Hey...what's this about?"

Selina pushed away his hands and glared at him. "It pisses me off. Now stop calling him that." Bruce settled his hands at her hips and waited until she looked at him again. He searched her face and saw that she was legitimately angry with him. She gave him a glare of annoyance when she saw his eyes dancing and the smile playing on his lips. "Knock off your shit, Wayne, I'm telling you that sets me off." Her voice was a low growl and his amusement grew exponentially.

"Why does it Selina?" Bruce laughed at her and she shoved off his hands and tried to push by him. Bruce stayed where he was, blocking her escape. So unless she wanted to go through him, which they both knew was easier said than done, she was having this conversation. He tugged a stray strand of her hair that curled that against her face, "Why does it Selina?"

She looked at him and shook her head, "Because you are not replaceable Bruce, you're not interchangeable parts. Putting on the suit doesn't make him you. No one can be the man you are." She hoped he understood she wasn't just talking from the perspective of the woman that was bedding him.

Bruce smiled softly at her and twirled the stray strand of hair around his finger, "That is kind of you to say, Ms. Kyle."

She extracted the hair from his hand and glared at him again, "I wasn't saying it to be kind." She snapped. "It's the truth. And in case you are wondering I'm not saying it because we are in..." her hesitation was long enough to get a smile out of Bruce and his eyes danced merrily, as she hissed out the remainder of the sentence, "bed together."

Bruce clucked his tongue, "Ms. Kyle. I would have thought a different phrase would have served to make your point more effectively." He kissed her cheek. _You are so close Selina...I think I may enjoy this more than you just telling me you love me outright... watching you dance around it...deny it..._

She rolled her eyes and sighed. Bruce grinned and his finger found that same strand of hair, he twisted it gently until she felt the slightest pressure then he was unwinding it, brushing his knuckle along her side as he did it. "You sure you don't have anything you want to tell me..." Again his finger twirled the lock of hair and he tugged it gently, pulling her head slightly back.

 _He knows what that does to you Selina...he knows how much you like it...clever man…very clever indeed._ "Unless you are planning to take me out for a spin Mr. Wayne, I will thank you to not start my engine."

Bruce grinned and settled himself closer to her. "I didn't mean to rev you up...I just wanted kick the tires...maybe get a look at what's under your hood." He made as if to peek under her robe and got his hand smacked. His laugh was low and made her shiver. He let his lips drift over hers and his hands slid around to her ass and he pulled her forward into him. "I'd like to know that I have the only set of keys to fit you Selina...that only I will get the pleasure of feeling how you.. handle. That no one but me will ever know what you can do when the right person is at the wheel...and they really...open you up...all the way."

Selina squirmed a little the implications of that little soliloquy, but you could not just serve up a set-up like that and not expect her to smash it back down in your court. Selina whispered in his ear, "But then…once you drive me off the lot the depreciation begins. Every year you'll see a newer sleeker model hit the showroom floor and you are stuck with one that isn't quite as great as you once thought it was. Not as fast as it used to be...it starts to get body damage," she slid the robe open to reveal the stitches on her thigh and brushed her hand over the pink scar from the bullet wound.

Bruce looked at her and shook his head, his face dark with anger, "The fact you think that way, Selina, kills me. It absolutely wads me up inside."

She ran a finger down his face and along his jaw, "What? That I'm willing to accept that there is another version of me that will be acceptable, even preferable to the original? That I believe that I am _replaceable_?" She looked at him and kissed the corner of his mouth, "The only difference between us Bruce, is that I haven't named my replacement...yet."

Selina slid around him and Bruce caught her again, this time he slid her firmly in front of him and braced his hands on either side of her. His eyes bored into her and the humor was long gone from his face. "What will you have me do Selina?" He ground his jaw, "I created the Batman to be a symbol, to be enduring, to be more than just me."

Selina laid her hands on his shoulders, "Bruce, set your sights for Blake realistically. He knows he will never be you and he will end up ruining your legacy or killing himself if he tries." She smiled at him, "You are Batman, face it...embrace it...go do what you do, Bruce. He will see what it means to be the Bat by watching you. He will see who he has to become to protect Gotham. But he will never be ready to replace you...because no one can."

She laid a hand against his cheek and looked in his eyes, "That doesn't mean that he can't become another powerful force in Gotham. He can carry on your legacy the same way you have for your father...Standing for the same things, just in your own ways. Letting your example guide him the same way your father's did you." He felt her hand on his chest over where his father's monogram had been. "Still today, you are wearing _his_ symbol. His example was so strong that it empowered you to create a symbol of your own."

Bruce felt the tear escape his eye and Selina brushed it away as he looked down on her. "Bruce, your father would be very proud of what you have done...the man you have become. All you have to do is show Blake the same example. Everything else will take care of itself." He pulled her into his arms, held her to his chest and pressed a kiss into her hair. Selina broke away from him and nodded toward the video surveillance monitor. "Your replacement is coming, Bruce." Her eyes were soft and she kissed him lightly on his lips as she slid off the table.

He held her hand in his, looking down at her intently with his piercing green eyes, "You are not replaceable either, Selina Kyle. It will behoove you not to imply to me again that you are."

Selina smiled and whispered that he was a moody bastard before she pulled away from him. She and Blake passed each other by the door and Blake refused to look at her and Selina laughed at him. "I thought you ran away."

He scowled back, "No, that's your signature move."

Selina smirked at him, "Baby bats, whenever you want another beat down, you just ask to see my signature move."

Bruce sat down on the metal bench and busied himself with attaching the buckle while his mind tried to wrap around what Selina had said about the future of Gotham. Right now the only future he could concentrate on was his own and it didn't just involve the Batman. It involved that frustratingly hot mess in the purple robe. _We have to find a way to make this work. Because I know I am doomed to sail willingly into that iceberg time after time, until she sinks me permanently_. He cursed under his breath and took a moment to get himself under control and force his thoughts away from what he would like to be doing to her this very moment.

Blake wandered in wearing grey Nike warm ups, obviously a set from the drawers in here that Alfred had supplied him. "I hope I wasn't interrupting…" he looked toward the door where she had left and then back down at Bruce. Bruce shook his head, but he seemed preoccupied and upset. Well Blake figured she had that effect on more than just him and he again wandered about Wayne's state of mental health, _He could have any woman in the world and he chose her. She was probably the first girl he saw since his eight year retreat. Maybe I could get him out into the dating scene again, show him that he has options._ He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on the issue at hand. "So ah, about earlier...well I wanted to tell you I reconsidered." He shrugged and dropped his hands into the pouch pockets of the sweatshirt. "If it's alright with you, I would like to go."

Bruce flipped the brace on and focused on Blake's face as the mechanical whine accompanied the audible crunch as it forced the bones into alignment. Blake grimaced and paled as he watched Bruce. To Wayne's credit he gave away nothing as he waited for the pain to abate and the brace to finish adjusting the tension on his knee. "Make a note Blake, if Fox ever suggests that you should reinforce the knee joints in your suit…let him."

"Noted," Blake said weakly. "Damn Bruce, that's rough."

Wayne nodded in agreement. "I am rectifying it soon." He stood and eased the pressure back on his leg, satisfying himself that the repair was holding. "I have a procedure scheduled in Europe next week that should alleviate a lot of my mobility issues. "

Blake looked both relieved and distressed simultaneously. "Oh well that's good. How long will you be gone?"

Bruce gave him a pained look, "Not long. I am going to do my recovery here in Gotham. I will be able to train you while I do my rehab."

Blake smiled a little at that. "I appreciate it, Bruce. I don't care much for this second-rate feeling I have these days."

Bruce felt the pang of the injustice that he had done to Blake. "I put you in a tough spot. Dropping this on you and disappearing. It wasn't fair of me. I set you up for failure." As he was voicing the words Bruce realized how true they were. "I spent years abroad learning martial arts, infiltration techniques, mastering the weapons of war before I ever even had the notion of creating Batman. But with you...well you got all of the expectations and none of the training. But I am going to rectify that…quickly"

Blake looked like a weight had been lifted as Bruce spoke. The younger man smiled and for the first time since he had returned Bruce saw the brash officer that had called him out that day in the study. Bruce smiled back and held out his hand to the young man. Blake took it without hesitation. Bruce looked at him and smiled, "Until then, Blake…you stick close to us and try to loosen up."

Blake glanced in the monitor as watched as the second part of Wayne's 'us' step out onto the patio. Her long curly hair was blowing in the wind and the dog was standing beside her as she looked out over the city. "It would be nice if you two could get along," Bruce suggested it to him mildly.

Blake nodded and shifted uneasily. "I ah…I have a few things I need to attend to before tonight. I was going to meet you at Wayne tower?"

Bruce nodded his satisfaction at that, bagging up the tools he used to affect the repair on the brace as he listened. He glanced up at Blake. Was there something else?"

Blake coughed and looked sheepishly at Bruce. "Well ah…yes actually." He glanced at the monitor. "It's about the dog...I know that she…"

"Selina," Bruce offered her name to him as the young man didn't seem to have it as part of his vocabulary yet.

Blake smiled weakly and swallowed. "Yes, ah...Selina said that I should take him with..." He glanced at the screen again, she had taken a perch on the thin railing and was looking down at the dog, Blake could see her lips moving as she spoke to it. "Do you think sh—Selina really meant for me to…" his voice trailed off, "Should she really be sitting up there like that?"

Bruce glanced over at the screen and sighed in annoyance. He played off his concern to the young man. "She's the Catwoman kid. She earned the name by climbing sky scrapers, not by falling off them." He glanced at her and tried not to envision the silk sliding on the railing and her falling to her death. Selina herself seemed completely unconcerned as she sat and talked to the dog. Bruce could only imagine the conversation she was having with the poor creature, it likely included a charming list of its character defects that she felt it should understand that it possessed. "As for the dog…well I have known Selina long enough to tell you that she means what she says...not always to the degree that she says it, but if she said she wants you to take the dog, then she expects you to take it. "

Blank nodded glumly and zipped his jacket as he prepared to leave. Bruce cracked a small smile, "You still worried about your property manager?"

Blake laughed without humor, "Yeah actually I am. He can be a real asshole sometimes."

Bruce laughed at that and nodded his head chuckling, "I'm sure."

Blake smiled and looked at Bruce hopefully, "You got some strings you can maybe pull for me?"

The smile on Bruce's face seemed out of place to Blake as he had only seen him in his deep serious mood, but the small lines in the corner of his eyes spoke to Wayne's obvious amusement. "Well I'm not so inclined to help after your character assignation of me. I mean I can be hard to take sometimes, but to call me an asshole outright. Well it's just rude."

"I don't...I didn't..?" Blake looked at him not comprehending what he was saying.

"As of two hours ago your building is under new ownership, Blake." Bruce smirked as he walked out of the room, "By the way, you better be on time with your rent and you owe me a two hundred-dollar pet deposit."

x

xxEdits by CheedXX


	17. chapter 17

xx

xxx **Selina** xxx

“Fox, what in the world would make Wayne think I was capable of doing something like this?” Selina examined with dread, her freshly stenciled name on the smoked glass that separated her from her perspective office area.

Fox smiled benevolently down at her, “I would imagine, Ms. Kyle, because he took your unique skill set under consideration when he created this position. As a result you are the _only_ person capable and qualified to meet the demands of performing it.” He opened the double doors and drew even more amusement from her reaction as he watched her step reluctantly into the spacious office. She looked like a resentful child being forced into a doctor’s office, petulant and more than a little afraid.

She looked around at the large slabs of grey marble tiles and freshly painted heather grey walls. It was a color scheme all its own on the floor. It was an inviting yet powerfully intimidating Wayne Enterprises corner office. Selina walked awkwardly across the great expanse of room and took in the impressive view of the city. The windows encompassed two entire walls from floor to ceiling, with a panoramic view of the city from south to east. Something seemed amiss to her until she realized she was standing in the most iconic building in Gotham. The skyline had looked incomplete without Wayne Tower.

 _Damn it Bruce._ She sighed and pressed her fingers to her temples as she realized where she was standing and the magnitude of what he was expecting her to become. _Bruce Wayne, you are insane if you think I am a fit for this_. She ran her fingers through her hair and twisted it into a loose coil before throwing it over her shoulder. She looked back forlornly at Fox who was now grinning from ear to ear.

She shrugged and tried to find a reaction to give him, “It’s...empty,” she stated the obvious in a small hollow voice.

“Indeed. One might ask why that is...?” He wound his hand like he was attempting to draw the question manually from her until she begrudgingly played along

“Why is it empty, Mr. Fox?” Her voice was deliberately deadpan and intentionally monotone as she refused to follow suit and mirror Fox’s carefree demeanor.

“It is empty, Ms. Kyle because you would have never spent one second in it anyways and you would have told me exactly where to put this little business proposal before you even gave it a shot. You would have seen this little feathered nest, it wouldn’t have suited you and then you would have flown the proverbial coup.” He looked at Selina with mischief in his eyes and she couldn’t help but feel the corners of her lips losing the battle and lifting into a reluctant smile.

“Well you are right about that Mr. Fox, but furniture or not, I am still going to tell you where to put this.” She gave him a look that said _please be expecting it and don’t let it hurt your feelings._

Fox chuckled, “You may very well do that, but at least now you will hear me out first.” He ushered her out and shut the doors behind them. He stuck out his elbow for her to take and Selina linked her arm in his and trailed along with him as he called off the other Wayne board members and his own and Bruce’s offices as they passed by them.

She looked at the man at her side and held tighter to his arm, Fox looked every bit the part of a Wayne Enterprise CEO in his tailored tan suit and cream button down. His tie was a beautiful black silk with striping of metallic purple and amber. It alone probably cost more than everything Selina was wearing today... _except my shoes…those were courtesy of Mr. Bruce Wayne_. She smiled fondly down at them and thought of him. The black leather skirt and jacket were ones she had picked up at the bike shop in Gotham and her silk blouse was something that had traveled with her in her boogie bag, so old and insignificant that she couldn’t recall its origin.

She looked at the women she passed in the hall, smartly dressed and perfectly tailored and she had to force herself not to shrink. Only years of practice at not giving an absolute shit what anyone thought of her kept her from dropping her head and hiding behind Fox. She met all of their inquisitive eyes with cool practiced detachment. She had better that she could have worn, that would have camouflaged her true origins from their judgmental eyes, but she had attended to business on the rough side of Gotham before coming in and dressing like a fembot from the WE steno-pool would have been like ringing the dinner bell for the street slime. Besides that, she was tired of hiding who she was, pretending to be something she wasn’t. _I came here as Selina Kyle, take it or leave it Wayne Tower employees. Preferably...just leave it._ She gave Fox some space as he got hijacked by a passing employee with a document that needed approving.

Selina nodded for him to continue as she wandered further down the hall to the large widows at the end. She waited for someone to approach and ask her if she was lost, but all of the employees just smiled and continued about their business. She had hoped that Fox would see her for what she was, and that he would be on her side in convincing Bruce that she did not fit in with his grand plan. But, he had not complied thus far...

She had not even stepped off the elevator when Fox’s assistant had met her with a genuine smile and a personal escort to a conference room that was letting out. He was an older man, well past retirement age, dressed in beige Dockers and a mustard yellow cardigan sweater. His brown eyes were kind and quick and Selina had liked him immediately.

Fox milled out halfway through the stampede of faceless moneymakers, his eyes lit-up when he saw her and he handed away the items he was carrying to his assistant and wrapped Selina in a warm embrace. “Ms. Kyle, as always you are a welcome sight for my eyes.” If it bothered him that she was in leather and heels he never showed it. He looked over at his assistant and smiled, “Did I exaggerate at her beauty?”

The man was superior to Fox in age and Selina was quick to observe, possibly even in charm. He gave her a formal bow, “There could be no description grand enough as to be considered exaggeration when the lady has beauty such as she.”

Selina rolled her eyes and Fox chuckled. “Exactly Mr. Primrose.” He nodded at his assistant, “You will have to forgive Alexander if he waxes poetically at your loveliness, but he and his missus are currently attending poetry reading classes at the annex. I do believe some of it is making an impression.”

Primrose shook his head derisively, “Jealousy is such a self-defeating emotion...like trying to swim in the ocean…”

Selina smiled brightly at Fox who seemed endlessly pleased by the eloquent reprimand. _Damn, Fox could pick ’em too it seemed._ _I wonder who was to blame for hiring the late, not-so-great Jessica?_ She pursed her lips and thought of the woman previously in the employ of Fox. 

Selina had aspirations of meeting up with Jessica face to face and spending some quality alone time together. She wanted to know exactly how much she really knew about the operations in Wayne Tower, but with the time constraints Selina had reluctantly reconsidered and flipped her and her money man over to the authorities in Spain. It was the quickest, albeit not the most satisfying of options open to her. But with the press release that Wayne was back among the living, she knew that time was of the essence. When journalists reported the plane carrying her went down, Selina had felt only mildly cheated. She would have preferred to determine what else Jessica knew about Fox and Bruce, but watching the smoking wreckage had lifted her spirits some.

The other consolation for not getting Jessica in a one on one, was that she did get her hands on her money. Selina had retrieved all the information available on Ms. Jessica from the files of the Treasury agents, including her bank codes and flight itinerary. That made it an easy decision for Selina to choose Spain as her jump point after the bank job was completed. Once Selina had the list of accomplices and with Jessica in Spain, the dirt bag in Barcelona seemed the most obvious place for her to begin the tag and bag process. She figured that she might just be lucky enough to get two birds with one stone and it turned out that was exactly what happened. _I got_ _somebody else to do my dirty work...again...just like old times..._

She frowned at the internal reprimand. _They got what they deserved, Karma was a muther sometimes. It was always satisfying to watch people like Jessica and her handler get it dealt back to them, especially in such flamboyant style._ Her mind flashed to the image of her father beaten and tortured in the dock house of the north pier and she blanched, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked out over the sunset _._

 _One last demon in the dark to face down Bruce...the truth of this one might be too much for even you._ She felt the familiar dread at the thought of telling him. _You don’t understand how deep in the dark I can go Bruce...I don’t want you to hate me...I don’t want to lose you, but it’s eating away at me and you deserve to know who you are sleeping next to...trusting your company with...then you can make a decision...then you can decide if you can really love me and my dark side._

She glanced back over her shoulder at Fox and her breath caught as she felt a sharp pain flare in her flank. She was silently grateful that there had not been any extracurricular activity before she got here. She was running on reserves as it was right now. Her back was killing her and despite the hours she spent drugged and a quick nap earlier, she felt strung out like she had not slept in days. _That’s because you haven’t slept._

Since her return to Gotham she had been driving herself hard, not eating, not sleeping and pushing her limits to her breaking point. She knew it would eventually catch up with her and she hadn’t cared in the least. But now it seemed like everything was hitting her...hard. The hunger, the fatigue, the emotion of all of this was avalanching in on her and she was not handling things in her normal Selina Kyle way. The entire thing with Bruce in the bedroom was out of character for her. On a normal day she would have detonated like a warhead. Someone tricking her, trapping her, drugging her, kidnapping her...but when she saw him, she understood the futility of running, the inevitability of capture.

Bruce was not stopping until he got her.

It had seemed almost a kindness to them both that she just give into him. _There had been so many of Scarecrow’s men by the docks...he could have died trying to get to me. I’m not having killing the Batman on my conscience ever again. The weight of what I am already dragging around is plenty enough..._

So she had just accepted it and let him have his minute to speak his piece, even if it meant that he was going to tell her it had all been just a diversion. _Just a little quid pro quo between comrades in arms._ Her stomach twisted and she felt her chest tighten even now as she remembered waiting to hear those words. But, Bruce Wayne had taken their conversation in a very different direction.

She had believed him when he told her what happened in Corsica. Hell, she even believed him when he told her that he loved her. She still didn’t understand _why_ he did, but she believed it nonetheless. The boy scout wasn’t lying to her. If he was trying to tell her he loved her... _No Selina, he said it...he said he loves you_. She reconfirmed the words and smiled at the memory. It was because that was how he feels. His feelings existed independently of whether she felt herself worthy of them or not. _It had felt amazing to know a man like Bruce could feel that for me...to have his protective arms around me and the soft words of love in my ears...it was…overwhelming._

Things had finally gotten to her as she sat alone on the balcony after leaving him to Blake. She and the mutt had gone out for some air and she found herself struggling to process it all. The hundreds of hours running, hiding, fighting, and starving in the freezing city just seemed to collapse on her as she sat on the railing outside his penthouse. She hadn’t even heard him open the glass door and take the dog inside. Her ears were filled with the sound of the wind as she looked out over her shoulder at the city. She drew in a deep gasping breath as she tried to center herself and ride the tide of emotion as the accumulation of all of it settled on her. _Gotham…Bane…Daggitt...Batman...so much...too much._

She shut her eyes against it all and when she opened them she looked out over Gotham again. The city was beautiful from up here. You could almost forget how dirty and dangerous it actually was when you were this high above the struggle and strife. _I wonder how Bruce finds the want and the will to stay so connected to the city when it would be so easy to remove himself and stay bunkered in this high-hide. No hunger, no cold, no danger to threaten you in the night. How hard is it for him to force himself from this cocoon of safety into the dangerous Gotham night? How hard is it for him to have to come back here after he was free? How long will he be able to make himself stay? How long will you be able to make yourself stay?_

She herself used to welcome the activity of the night, it was when she needed most to be roaming, running and fighting. It kept the nightmares from claiming her...she got to become the nightmare... _I wonder if it is like that for him too?_ She shut her eyes again and just took a breath. _Is all that behind me now? Running on the ragged edge, my stomach sickened at the sight of food, sleepless because my dreams would not allow me rest_ The second she had tried to sleep she was dreaming of Bruce, dreaming of her childhood. It was a sickening combination that she refused to allow to meld together in her mind. _Was that over now?_

_He can’t save you from yourself Selina, but you want him to don’t you? You want him to save you from Gotham, but he can’t even save himself from this city..._

When she had looked up and saw Bruce on that rooftop the night before she had almost just stood there and let him come the hell down there and catch her. It seemed unlikely to her that he was still intent on imprisoning her and she was tired of running, but then she realized why he was coming for her was something worse than him bringing her to justice. The only business they had left between them was Corsica. _I was a loose end and you know Boy scouts and their knots_. He was there to tie it up with her, he wanted to face her and tell her where they stood with one another. She didn’t want to hear that he hadn’t loved her, that was a cruelty that even a woman with her experience in brutality wouldn’t face willingly.

Bruce was the only good thing she had ever had in her life and she had reconciled herself with everything that happened between them. She had justified every decision they had both made. She just wanted it all to stay where they left it, in Corsica, buried beneath her justifications and rationalizations and understandings. Seeing him standing there looking down at her wearing that damn suit had felt like a knife in her heart. Standing there on the ledge with his cape rippling around him…proud and beautiful, dangerous and heroic. _Just kill me already._ She decided then that she would rather be damned to a life of running then stand there voluntarily while he ripped out the tattered remains of her heart. _I was not going to hear that the only thing that was ever right in my life was a lie...that what we had never existed...or worse yet that it did and now it’s over -Fuck that-_

So she had run like hell.

But he caught her...then he fought for her...and he saved her...again. The only thing she could do was let him finish it. She couldn’t risk him coming for her again. _What if he didn’t make it next time Selina? You have seen him die twice for you already. No more…_ So she had buried her heart deeper and faced it...faced Bruce Wayne and the truth of what they had been to one another.

When he told her that he loved her she had nearly come undone. She felt the small part of her that had hidden waiting and wanting for so long finally stir. Then his arms were around her as he swore his love and asked for hers in return... _It was...overwhelming._

With the strains of the mental, physical and emotional Selina had felt it hit her there on the patio. With the city as the only witness, she gave into it.

 _..._ _all of this...it’s too much...this city...Gotham is too much._ She never felt the tears slide down her wind-chilled face. The muscles of her back quivered as they struggled to support her and she gripped harder on the railing as she pulled harshly for her next breath of air and tried to lock down her emotions.

Suddenly his arms were around her and she felt herself being pulled off the rail and held against his chest, her toes inches above the ground beneath her. His lips were against her temple and he was chastising her for sitting up there like that, for making him worry that she might fall. He was setting her down as he pulled back her head and looked into her eyes. He froze, his eyes piercing into her and his arms tightened and held her firmly against him, the concern evident in his eyes, “Selina?”

 _I wonder what the hell he saw in me that scared him like that._ Her face was so numb from the cold wind that she hadn’t realized that tears were flowing from her eyes. She was numb from the cold and the shock of it all. Numbness was good, she was used to feeling nothing _._

Bruce shook her gently, “Selina, talk to me. Are you alright?” His voice had a clipped urgency.

She didn’t have the energy to explain, she just dropped her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her voice was a hoarse whisper, “I’m...I don’t know what I am…I can’t...”

She felt him shift and then he was carrying her and walking through the patio doors. She mumbled into his shoulder that she could walk and to let her down. He hushed her and talked to her in that gentle low tone of his. The rhythmic cadence of his voice in her ear lulling her even as she continued to demand her release.

They passed Alfred on the way, Bruce’s tone changed and she heard him say, “She is exhausted, Alfred. I am putting her back to bed.” _Could this be more embarrassing? Getting toted around like a potato sack. Just shoot me._ She felt his arms tighten around her as she tried again to get him to set her down.

Alfred’s understanding voice was like a balm, “I can only imagine that she is, poor Miss. You are as well, Master Wayne. Rest with her. I will wake you both in a few hours. “

With Alfred’s final vote cast against her Selina just gave in to being carried to bed like a two-year old. She tucked her head into the warmth of Bruce’s neck, and tightened her arms over his shoulders. _To hell with all of it_.

This simple act of surrender earned his approval. His voice was soft and his breath warm in her ear as he praised her, “That’s my girl Selina. I’ve got you.”

The fatigue was so great in her that it felt like the most liberating thing in the world to shed off everything for a minute and just let him handle it. She knew it wasn’t fair...he owed her none of this. But here he was walking her through his endless penthouse to his bed. Carrying the weight of both of them of all of their duties and obligations, mistakes and expectations, acting like it was his burden to shoulder. _How can that even be...how can that be what he wants?_

She breathed in the smell of his skin and just let it fall away from her...all of it...Selina just gave herself over to him. She was nearly out before he was sliding back the duvet and gently settling her onto the mattress. “Stay with me.” Her voice was soft and needy even to her own ears. _Screw it I don’t care...I want him here...need him here._

“I’m not going anywhere Selina. I’m right beside you.” He slid in beside her and she immediately buried herself deeper into his embrace and asked him to hold her closer. He wrapped his legs over hers and dropped his head to cover hers as he pulled her in tighter.

He was what she needed, to be surrounded by the feel, the smell, the heat of his body. She needed to be warmed and protected and cared for and she wouldn’t have accepted it from anyone other than him.

Bruce soothed her with soft assurances in her ear that she was safe with him and she should sleep. She answered with a whisper, soft against the skin of his throat.

 _He never hesitated a second on calling me out on it..._ Selina smiled and blushed as Fox collected her and suggested they continue the tour.

She turned away from Gotham and walked again with Fox as they finished the tour of the executive offices. She asked to see his and he had been happy to honor her request. They had no sooner stepped foot in it then he was bombarded again by staff with some manner of project or another for him to handle before they jetted out at 5:30. He gave her a pained look and asked her to hold tight while he put out some fires before he took her down to Applied Sciences. He gently shut the door behind him and Selina was left in the office alone.

_See, that’s all the reason in the world not to want to work here, too many people clambering all over me. I would suffocate and die. I like to be on my own…out running the streets, staking out targets, planning entries. This boxed up nine-to-five crap would smother me._

She paced a small circle around Fox’s deck and contemplated slipping down the hall and breaking into Wayne’s office. She felt in the pocket of her jacket the little item she wanted to leave for him and her spirit lifted some. _Maybe that will act as a consolation prize for him when I tell him no dice on this security position._ She laughed to herself _, talk about letting the fox guard the hen-house. (no pun intended Lucius) Not smart business Wayne, none of your board members would be fond of it either should they know the real story of Selina Kyle. They would all be locking their desk drawers and carrying their purses to the bathroom with them to avoid my sticky fingers._

She sighed, “Screw ‘em, like I care what they think of me.” She stretched her neck and cracked the stiffness out of her back. “I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of me,” she paused and looked up at the closed door. _I guess that isn’t entirely true anymore. I care what Gordon thinks of me...and Fox...and maybe Bruce sometimes...and definitely Alfred_. She groaned as she sat down in Fox’s chair. _Dammit Alfred._

She had left before Bruce had come out of the shower, telling Alfred that she had an errand to run before meeting him at the office. Alfred had been none too pleased when she wouldn’t allow him to drive her. She had given him a hug and peck on the cheek and told him she was a big girl and she would be fine. He sighed and informed her that he wanted to go not because of worry for her but to avoid Master Wayne’s reaction to her absence.

She smiled and fiddled with the pen on Fox’s desk. _Alfred is someone quite special._ She had told him that too before she left, right after she thanked him for everything he had done for her and apologized for her sudden departure in Corsica. Alfred had waved off her apology, but did remind her that she had promised to be available for consultation if the Master started indoor archery again. Selina had started to argue against the implication that Wayne had been distracted to that drastic a level by her absence, but Alfred shut her down.

“I have seen Bruce at his lowest points in his life, the death of his parents, the loss of his childhood friend, Ms. Daws, but I have never seen him fall so far as he did with you Ms. Kyle, for I have never before seen him reach such heights.” He had looked down at her with their hands holding each others, “Loving you has made him a different man, Selina. It has opened him up in ways I never imagined possible.”

She felt the guilt rising up inside her and Alfred saw it instantly. “You’ll not be blaming yourself, Ms. Kyle. What happened in Corsica was no one’s fault. You believed your life and your freedom were being threatened. After surviving by only your wits and your instincts, what else would you be expected to do but follow where they guide you. I understand that and so does Master Wayne.”

He gripped her arms tighter. “But what I need for you to understand now, is that you have more than just yourself that you can rely on. You have Master Wayne and you have me. You can depend on me to have your best interests at heart and to be there to take care of you no matter what may happen.” He straightened up and looked down on her with sad pride, “Something tells me you haven’t had much of anyone that you could rely on in your life child, but I am promising you…you have that person in me now.”

She squeezed Alfred’s hands and tried her damndest to control the tears that were burning in her eyes. She forced herself to look up at him and smile, “I wish you had just called me and told me all of that, Alfred. We could have avoided more unnecessary nonsense.”

He had been flabbergasted by that and more than a little miffed by her suggestion that she had been available to call.

She sat at Fox’s desk ginning as she recalled the scolding she received from Wayne’s elder butler. “Had you taken your satellite phone I would have rung you and gave you a bloody earful. Not only that, but I would have remedied the misunderstanding between Master Wayne and yourself directly.”

Selina had unzipped her tattered leather jacket and pulled out her low tech, but sturdily constructed, Rugby flip phone. She flicked open the heavy yellow and black lid and pushed contact one. From across the room Alfred’s cell phone rang. It was a custom tone and it took him a second to place the melody before Tom Jones’s voice asked _‘What’s new pussy cat_.’ Alfred’s brows pulled together and he looked at her questioningly.

Selina gave him a soft smile and nodded toward the phone, “You better go answer it.”

He gently dropped her hands and walked purposefully across the floor to retrieve it off the kitchen counter. He looked down at the display and it registered an incoming call from Kat W. Alfred looked back up and the elevator doors were closing and she was gone. He pressed to accept the call and Selina’s voice came through the receiver. “I meant what I said, Alfred. You had my number all along. I will always be here for you too. I love you.”

x

xx

xxx

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx Bruce xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The line disconnected and Alfred swallowed the lump in his throat as he sat down on a stool at the breakfast bar.

Bruce walked in fastening up the buttons on his pale blue dress shirt. He was going to ask Selina when she would be ready, but the sight of Alfred caught him off guard. He was sitting at the bar with his head hanging down and Bruce froze. “Alfred?” His voice held enough trepidation that Alfred had to address it right off rather than struggle to compose himself and let Bruce think the worst.

He wiped at his face and shook his head at Bruce, “It’s alright Master Wayne. Everything is alright.” He patted the hand that had found his shoulder. Bruce looked around and then up at the elevator and saw the lights flicker down as it descended. _She was using the main travel elevator, not the express. I can still catch her._ He let go of Alfred’s shoulder and was ready to sprint to the rear elevator when Alfred’s warm hand grasped his hand firmly. “Bruce, stop.” He halted and looked at Alfred, feeling the instant calm that came with Alfred’s clear blue eyes. “Everything is fine, Bruce. The missus had items to attend to and will meet you and Fox at the office as planned.”

Bruce looked at him with worry, “Then why? What’s wrong, Alfred? Are you—”

Alfred patted his hand again, “I am fine, Bruce. Truly. Just getting emotional in my old age I believe,” Alfred apologized.

Bruce looked again at the elevator and the anxiety radiated off him in waves. Alfred pressed callback and handed him the phone. Bruce looked at him, confusion evident in his face even as his eyes dropped down to the caller ID, Kat W. The photo ID was a picture he had taken of Selina on the balcony of Alfred’s villa in Florence. It was her silhouetted in the yoga pose that had distressed Alfred so completely. _How the hell had Alfred gotten a copy of that?_ Bruce stared down at it as her voice came over the speaker.

“Is he giving you hell already, Sir Alfred?”

Alfred shook his head and chuckled, but his voice still held a tremor, “That he is Miss Kyle.”

“Bruce knock off your shit and stop harassing Alfred.” Her voice was clear and demanding as he took it off speaker and held the phone to his ear.

“Where are you Selina?” he demanded.

“Riding your slow ass elevator to the lobby. There is something to be said for the carnival ride quality of your other lift, it makes this one feel even slower in comparison.” She waited a beat, “I will be there before you get there, Wayne.” She paused and when he still didn’t speak he heard some compassion seep into her voice, “You have my word, Bruce. I just have something I have to pick up on the way. Trust me I will be there.” Her voice got a playful tone, “I am bringing you a little present…”

Bruce shook his head as he pressed a thumb to his temple, “You are the only thing I want or need, Selina Kyle.”

“Trust me Bruce, you want what I’m bringing you tonight.” Her voice was smooth and even.

Bruce shut his eyes and held his breath a moment, “I don’t want to feel like every time you walk out the door that you may be gone for good.” He said this as he pressed a palm against his forehead. He had fought this for most of the day, but the headache was coming on now in spades.

There was a moment of silence where he only heard the movement of traffic and then her quiet voice, “Bruce, I don’t want that either. You have to believe me that I won’t skip out on you again. I know we don’t know where this is going between us Bruce, hell we haven’t even really gotten to know each other yet. We still have the potential to absolutely hate everything about one another,” she laughed lightly.

Bruce exhaled a frustrated breath, “Selina I am—”

She halted him, “Hush, Bruce. Now don’t fight with me. What I’m saying is...that whatever happens, I will not leave things between us like that again.”

Bruce sighed, “I need you to promise me that you won’t run, Selina.”

“You have my word, Bruce. The only running I will do will be the jogging I do in my Newtons and you can pace me on the Batpod if you want. Now, I will see you in a few.”

Bruce hadn’t liked that she left without telling him, and he had seen from the look in Alfred’s eyes that more had transpired than either were saying. “Alfred, are you sure everything is alright?” Alfred waved him off but Bruce followed him to the elevator as he buttoned up his navy trench coat. “Alfred please, talk to me. What happened? Did Selina say something to upset you? She can be—”

Alfred cut him off clean, “Don’t, Master Wayne. I’ll not have you make a disparaging remark about the missus. She has quite a low enough of an opinion of herself without us feeding into it as well.” Bruce straightened at the reprimand. Alfred had landed that blow hard and direct and it stung. Alfred dropped a hand to his shoulder and soothed him, “Master Wayne, you need not ever apologize for Ms. Kyle. She is an intelligent, lovely young woman and I think very highly of her. I might as well admit I am charmed to the toes by her.” He struggled for a moment then continued, “I am grateful that two such deserving people as you and she were able to find one another.” 

He brushed off the shoulders of Bruce’s jacket and walked to the coat rack and collected his own overcoat and the keys to the Rolls. Alfred returned to his side and they waited for the elevator to return. Bruce looked over at him and asked him again, “What did she say to you Alfred?”

Alfred glanced over at him and straightened the sleeves of his tan wool trench, “That would be between me and the missus, Master Wayne.”

Bruce smiled at that familiar response and he wrapped his arm around Alfred’s shoulder, “She loves you Alfred, whether she shows it or not…she does.”

Alfred wrapped his arm around Bruce and his voice cracked again as he muttered out, “Why do you think I am making such a bloody side show of myself right now. She told me herself she did.” He looked over at Bruce and set his jaw, “I love her as well, you know that Master Wayne?”

Bruce squeezed his shoulder and nodded, “I know you do, Alfred.”

 

xxx

x

 _Those three words..._ She had asked him to stay with her, to hold her after he carried her from the patio. _There would have been no measure of man that could have kept him from it_. He held her against him in the bed and she had said it...soft, nearly inaudible whisper of those three evasive little words. Bruce dropped his chin and tucked his head into the hollow of her throat, “Selina, did you just say you loved me?” He couldn’t help but smile as he kissed her jaw.

“No,” came the muffled reply. He grinned as he held her close and relished the moment. She was in his arms and she loved him. He kissed her forehead and chuckled, “I think you said it, Selina.”

“No I didn’t,” came her coy reply, “You are hearing things Bruce.” She kissed his throat and smoothed her face against his neck.

Bruce groaned at her playful tease, “Yeah I must be.” He held her like that and felt the tension leaving her body as she faded to sleep, he allowed himself to follow after her breathing turned rhythmic and hypnotic.

Alfred woke him a short time later and Bruce softly cajoled her from her sleep. He told her he had dreamed of sailing with her on his on his schooner. They were somewhere cold, maybe off the shores of Alaska, there was ice in the water and snow on the distant shoreline. He told her how beautiful she looked. He had smoothed her hair back and looked in her eyes as he remembered the image of her walking toward him across the deck of the one hundred fifty foot Barquentine. Her long dark hair flared out behind her like the billowing sails that pulled them further out into the deep dark blue...

Now here Bruce sat at Fox’s desk in Applied Sciences, in the comforting cloak of darkness, waiting for Selina to hold true to her word and for the pills to work on his budding headache. He had dropped his suit jacket over the chair and was thankful for the dark and silence of the deserted and officially nonexistent applied science division. He just needed a moment to clear his head...let the pain relax its grip on him. In the penetrating silence he heard the soft hum of the elevator and the whoosh as the doors opened. In the light from the doors he saw her familiar form as she stepped warily out of the compartment. He refused to acknowledge the relief that accompanied her tentative steps out in to the dark empty expanse of Applied Sciences.

She glanced around and remained perfectly still and silent as she took in the layout.

The doors shut behind her and Bruce realized she was alone. _Fox must have sent her down... Check that. Fox wouldn’t have sent her down alone, he was too excited about giving her the tour...she found the passage. Damn sneaky woman..._

He smiled and leaned forward to watch her as she navigated through the dark cavern. She paused and took a moment to study a computer console on the wall near the door. She satisfied herself that the security system wasn’t going to activate before making her way into the darker recesses of the room. She was flying blind. No glasses, no gear, just Selina. From the light of the elevator he knew she was wearing her mauled up leather jacket, a skirt, and high heels. _Not exactly battle dress uniform, Ms. Kyle._ He smiled at himself, _not that I am dressed for our nocturnal outing yet either. Hell I’m not even dressed for the office._ No tie, shirt buttoned down two holes, sleeves rolled up, and the jacket long since abandoned.

Bruce slid his hand over and picked up one of the cowls he had laid on the desk. He was going to install the new filter unit into the apparatuses once his headache finally gave into the medication. He pulled it over his face and flicked the monitoring system to night vision and sat back to watch her. She slunk along the wall allowing her fingers to trail delicately along the smooth steel. She paused for a second, her eyes obviously drawn to something over by his position. Him? He didn’t think so, he followed her eyes to the dark shadows… _the Tumblers. Oh Ms. Kyle you do so love your vehicles...do you have any idea how much I enjoy your enjoyment?_ He grinned as he watched her slide up to the side of it. Her lips split into a sexy smile as she ran her gloved hand over the swell of the rear fender.

Four were recovered after the siege. Fox had done a hell of a job reclaiming his toys after the blast. He used the disorganization of the military and the police to his advantage. After it was all said and done all of the large machines were retrieved and the smaller stock tracked. Gordon had demolition teams set charges and seal the tunnels leading under Wayne tower. He himself had assisted Fox in the removal of Wayne Tech from the evidence rooms at the local police stations before the military could mobilize them out of the city.

The newly freed swat team had pulled a small coupe on the convoy transporting the Batpod Selina drove the day of the detonation. Bruce grinned as he remembered Fox telling him about Gordon driving it into the bunker entrance of Applied Sciences.

They were in Corsica when Selina asked Fox about the fate of her faithful steed. Fox had told her about Gordon and his ride. She had beamed proudly, her mouth spitting into the super-charged thousand megawatt smile she had when something really hit her the right way. “Gordon.” She spoke his name with undisguised admiration, “I bet he loved every minute of it.”

Fox was holding his stomach laughing, “I’m not sure, Ms. Kyle. He was either scared to death or just had the most thrilling ride of his life. Or maybe both.”

Selina had looked at Bruce grinning, “I wish I had seen it. You know I love a windblown public servant.” _Oh Selina...that particular windblown public servant loves you back. If I wasn’t such a confident man I would be intimidated by this collection of men you are accumulating..._ He watched her slide around the vehicle, amazed by the stealth she displayed despite the heels she wore.

Selina glided quietly along the hulking vehicle and had a moment of regret. She had hated having to fire on them during that chase… _what a relief there were more. I would have never forgiven myself If they were all destroyed and I never got my chance to get behind the wheel of one._ She ran her gloved hand over the tread of the tire, “44 Super Swampers...I bet you are a rough ride...But damn if you’re not a total turn on.” She bent down over the fender and looked for the latch to the hood, running her fingers lightly over the heavily armored panels feeling for it, “Come on girl...I wanna see what you are running with...Stop playing hard to get.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Selina froze at the sound of his voice emanating from the shadows behind her then a smile slid in place as she began to straighten.

“I would prefer it if you stayed right where you were, Ms. Kyle…”

She looked back over her shoulder and a computer monitor turned on and she saw the sharp tips of the cowl as they reflected the light. She let her back relax and her hand touched back down on the armor of the vehicle. Her hair hung down brushing the fender as she bent back over and waited for what was next.

Bruce took a breath and looked at the sight in front of him. _All legs in a short skirt...a short leather skirt no less. Damn if it wasn’t those heels with the bows in the back. _He felt himself hardening at the memory... _those legs thrown over his shoulder, heels digging into his back._ He blew out a breath and adjusted in the chair. “Ms. Kyle... How about we take a peek under that hood...”

He grinned in satisfaction at the wicked look his suggestion earned him. _Wayne you are lucky s.o.b. God help you. She is the sexiest creature that has ever walked the earth and now she is walking it wearing those heels…_ He cleared his throat and gave her direction, “Hood release lever on the console by your left hand”.

She ran her hand along the car until she felt the indentation. She slid a finger under the cover and flipped it open. The light bar illuminated red. Selina knelt down to get a better look at it and heard a cluck of his tongue from behind her.

“Ms. Kyle, now that isn’t playing by the rules.” Bruce smiled as she slowly stood back up and tossed her hair back.

“What are the rules?” She shot a sexy smile over her shoulder at him and he felt the blood rush into his groin. _Oh damn woman, if you knew what you are doing to me…how bad I want you...you would run away...And I would be in no condition to chase you._ “Rules are...you do what I say...the way I say or you lose a piece of clothing.”

Selina laughed, “You think that’s wise? Fox will be down any minute.” Bruce flicked on the surveillance camera for both elevators and ensured that they were empty.

“I didn’t tell you to argue, that will be one article of clothing...at your discretion of course.”

Selina shook her head and tossed her hair again as she slipped off her battered leather jacket revealing her dark crimson silk blouse. Bruce smiled, _It’s cold in here and that top is telling me  that she doesn’t have too many more mistakes to make. “_ Selina...wearing silk in the winter chill of Gotham, with no bra? You have my gratitude.”

 _Gloves, skirt, underwear, top._ That was his guess on how she would play it. _I will probably have to convince her that shoes are not clothes...but I will convince her because those shoes_ _, by damn, those are staying on._ “Now...legs straight, bending at the waist. I want you to go back down there and punch in the following code.”

Selina felt the blush creeping in her face and was never so grateful for the cover of dark and the glow of night vision green. She faltered for a second _, I hope he isn’t using thermal imaging…I will trip the sensors right now between the flush of my cheeks and the heat I’m feeling south of the border._ She bent slowly at her waist, letting her hair drop over to the side so it shielded her face. _No_ _rule against that…yet._ She paused as she waited for the code, her face next to the console.

Bruce spun the monitors toward the car and stepped around the front of the desk. The additional light made the night vision even more effective. Most people thought they worked in total darkness, but they actually just enhance light that is already available. With the enhanced light and some minor magnification he was happy to report that Ms. Kyle was wearing a lace thong. _But not for long…no ma’am. Not. For. Long_.

He ran a hand over his groin and tried to situate himself more comfortably, but the contact only served to antagonize himself further. _Dammit Wayne, you went eight years celibate and now a few days without and she walks in and has you hard enough to cut diamonds._ His mind argued with his body that it should be stronger than that, but his body never had to go the eight years after having had Selina Kyle in his bed. _Game- set- match. Victory goes to hormones and libido as they soundly trounced rationalization and restraint._

“Zulu delta 819.” Bruce rasped out.

Selina obediently typed in the code and the security screen glowed green, displaying several options on the panel. Her finger hovered over the hood release and her finger froze. _No word from the big guy telling her to..._ Selina waited several seconds until Bruce’s deep chuckle reached her ears and she felt a heavy pulse between her thighs. _Damn it he is the sexist man I have ever met. He has me halfway there and he hasn’t even laid a finger on me..._

Bruce smiled and shook his head in both admiration and frustration, “Spring the hood, Selina.”

She could hear the humor in his voice and she pressed the button and looked back over her shoulder at him, smiling as she remained bent over waiting for permission to rise.

Again Bruce laughed, _You are too smart for your own good Ms. Kyle._ He glanced at the monitors, _Fox-free so far_. “Selina, you may stand and raise the hood. She grinned as she slowly stood, pulling the heavy hood along with her. With some effort she pushed it over her head and peered down at the engine. _Holy hell...it was beautiful._ Even in the dim light she could see it was a master piece. Her finger brushed the support rod and she detached it and dropped it down into the slot.

Once she had finished bracing it she looked back again at Bruce. A disappointed _tsk tsk_ met her ears and Selina just shook her head. “Too bad, Selina…I never told you to do anything but _raise_ the hood. That’s going to be a piece of clothing.”

She snorted a laugh and blinked back over her shoulder at her tormentor. Selina licked her lips, “What am I getting out of this deal, Wayne?”

He chuckled, “You are getting the same thing I am getting…a chance to have a look under the hood…a chance to see what she’s packing under there...” He couldn’t help but smile at her reaction, a mix of embarrassment, desire and playful curiosity. If you didn’t think that was a potent enough combination to liquefy his insides you would be wrong…very, very wrong. “And because I didn’t tell you to ask a question, that will be two instead of one that you owe me.”

Selina slipped off both her gloves and laid them over her jacket on the fender of the car.

Bruce shook his head, “No way Selina...gloves count as one. Now, pay up.”

She bit back her argument and smiled as she slipped her hands along the sides of her thighs and under her skirt. The black lace thong was the third garment to fall. _Nice choice, Ms. Kyle._ He ran his tongue over his bottom lip as he watched the black lace make its journey down to those shoes and she stepped free from it. He nearly growled when she stopped herself from picking them up. He hadn’t told her to, he had almost had her. _Almost...that is a damn shame.._.

Motion on the monitor caught his attention and he looked closer, Fox was coming. _So that means neither you or Selina will be... Damn it Fox. _He looked back at Selina and she was standing there arms folded over her stomach patiently awaiting his direction, he groaned in frustration. “Game over Selina…Fox is on his way down.” Bruce started to remove the cowl, but hesitated when Selina didn’t respond.

She was just standing there smiling at him, as she planted her hands on her slim hips. “You are forfeiting? Guess that means I win.”

Bruce pulled off the cowl and laughed as he flicked on the track lighting above their area, “No you didn’t win. Now Fox is coming hurry up.”

Selina’s smile spread across her face and she looked at Bruce, “How is this me _not_ winning? You are giving up and all I am out is a ratty jacket and some gloves.” She shrugged them off and smiled at him.

“Don’t forget your panties,” Bruce reminded her as he reset the security monitors from the elevators back to their normal search sequence.

“Oh I haven’t forgotten them, but they were barely even there to begin with.” She minimized the importance of their loss, “I figure since I got this far, I deserve to see exactly what this baby has under there...” She crossed one foot over the other and did a slow one-eighty so she was facing away from him again and then she leaned under the hood and both of them came up winners.

Bruce felt like his stomach was on fire as he looked at her bent down over the motor of the Tumbler. He could all but feel the satiny touch of her sex against his, taste the flavor of her on his tongue. _It’s been too long...I never should have played this game..._ He heard the elevator pulling to a halt and he hissed at her, “Selina, he is here!”

“Tell me I won, Bruce,” came the echoing retort from under the hood.” He looked back at her and the skirt had inched up further as she planted her left leg and leaned back into a stretch. _Too much leg and not nearly enough leather_. The skirt pulled higher up over the curve of her ass when she dipped even lower to study the engine. “Hey Bruce it’s got a five hundred horsepower Hemi...”

He swore under his breath, “Alright Selina! “You win! You’ve won!”

She pulled back from under the car and turned as Fox rounded the corner to his desk.

“Ms. Kyle, you never cease to impress me,” Fox shook his head in wonderment.

She folded her arms over her breasts and casually leaned against the side of the car as she smiled sweetly over at him, “Do I not?”

Fox shook hands with Bruce and nodded over at her. “It didn’t take you long to find the access elevator.”

“I’m just good like that, Mr. Fox. Besides, Bruce had mentioned that you both have your little secret entrances.” Selina grinned and pushed herself up on the fender sitting on her soft leather jacket. She leaned a little forward and the soft silk bloused away from her hardened nipples.

Fox sat down his brief case and looked down at the monitors on his desk, he frowned at their odd position and turned them to face properly on his desk.

Bruce was relieved that they were in the clear until he saw the smirk on Selina’s face and followed her eyes down to the incriminatory black lace thong still lying on the floor between them.

Bruce stepped into Fox’s line of sight and gave her a look that demanded she go recover them and Selina smiled back with every tooth in her mouth as she shook her head no. She adjusted herself on the car and Bruce got to see another flash of her factory original when she crossed her legs. _She is killing me… And this was why we have to figure this out…this right now is a prime example. Iceberg laden waters and I am trimmed out at full sails...straight and true through the blue...happily anticipating the impact._ Bruce scooped the lace garment off the floor and shoved it into the pocket of his grey slacks. “Selina, you are going to pay for this I swear it.” He growled the promise at her.

She grinned and whispered, “I want you to carry those with you tonight, Bruce…it will remind you to tie things up quickly and get me home.”

 _How great does that sound? Home to Selina._ He closed the distance between them and brushed his thumb over her lips, shaking his head. “I don’t need a reminder for that Selina.”

She kissed him gently on the mouth and then whispered in his ear, “Take them anyways…I might ask to have them back at some point tonight and you better have them on you….Winner makes the rules.” She slid off the car and walked over to the desk where Fox had gathered up her suit and equipment.

Bruce watched her walk off arm and arm with Fox and he sat back on the fender of the tumbler running both hands through his hair. _Damn she did win because she was walking off like nothing happened and I am about to have to go to the bathroom and have one off so I can even function._

Selina suddenly reappeared around the corner and strutted directly toward him. He watched her walk towards him with a mix of apprehension and aching need. _I should have made love to her in the tub...I should have locked down the safe room...I should have pulled the emergency stop on that elevator and just repelled the hell down there and took her right on—_ His thoughts cut off as her breasts pressed firmly against his chest, his erection was obvious to them both, as his hard length was pressed solidly between their bodies. She glanced down at the evidence of his arousal and gave him another wicked grin.

The soft ding of the elevators from around the pillars had her rolling her eyes, “With all of the foot traffic it’s like Gotham Square in here all of a sudden . We just can’t catch a break can we, Wayne?” She reached around him and grasped her jacket, pulling it from under him, making him lean further into her body so she could retrieve it from underneath him. She grazed the front of his trousers with her hip as she turned and was rewarded with a strangled groan at the pleasurable frustration that created.

“Selina,” her name was spoken like another warning.

“What? I needed my jacket…its _drafty_ in here.” Her allusion to her pantiless state drew out a  deep chuckle. Selina smiled a sexy happy smile over her shoulder and Bruce felt the hard twist in his chest. _Iceberg sighted…dead ahead.._

“Tonight Selina Kyle, you are going to wake the neighbors...and _that is a promise_.” He said it low but he knew she heard him because her sultry step faltered and her back tensed. “Yes ma’am, you know exactly what I am telling you...that night after Monte Carlo is going to look tame compared to what I do to you tonight.” Selina looked back at him, her eyes wider, her lips slightly parted in surprise. _What is this now? Dare I say that Selina Kyle looks a little... intimidated_... _damn right_. His eyes burned a hole through her as she recovered enough to raise an eyebrow and purse her lips as if she was considering what he said as an offer rather than a promise of things to come. Bruce held her eyes until she slipped around the corner. _Damn woman._

_x_

Blake stepped off the elevator from the secure side and walked hesitantly toward them. As Fox led Selina through her tour, he greeted Blake and directed him over to Bruce. Blake returned the acknowledgement with a small wave; Selina grinned and discreetly flipped him off. Blake let out an exacerbated breath and walked over to Fox’s desk to Bruce. _Why am I even here? She...Selina obviously hates me and Bruce has to think I am a total disappointment. Right now I only have Alfred on my side...and he is only marginally supportive at best._

Bruce handed him one of the cowls that were on the desk and a pair of pliers. “They still need the filters changed out. Crack it open and I will show you how it goes.”

Blake complied and he nearly had it completed when Fox and Selina walked by. Fox was doing his best to convince Selina to do something as he showed her the secrets of Applied Sciences. Blake kept his head down not giving Selina another chance to engage him in a conflict.

Bruce grinned again as he tightened down the grommets on Blake’s new cape and laid it to the side. _Come on Fox_ _,_ _all my money is on you to get her to bite on this. She would have shot me down point blank on taking a job at Wayne Enterprises. But Lucius…he has the ability to charm the pants off Ms. Selina Kyle, while I am reduced to conning them off._ He laughed under his breath as he pulled the lace panties from his pocket, palming them in his hand discreetly as he dropped his utility belt across his knees. _This would be a first for the belt, but winner makes the rules._ Bruce laid it back across the desk with the lace item strategically harbored away as per Her Royal Highness’s command. He assisted Blake in the final check of his equipment.

Several minutes later Fox returned and sat down at his desk and looked at the two men and the mess they had created of his area, “We have a work station right across the way made for this exact function.”

Blake started to gather up his items, but Bruce continued. “We are almost finished, Lucius.”

Fox pointed again, “That was my polite way of asking you boys to clear out. Ms. Kyle and I have to run down some items on her new suit. Besides, I wouldn’t want us distracting you away from your tasks. “

Blake shrugged, “It won’t distract me any.”

Bruce raised his eyebrows at Fox and they shared a silent moment. Bruce smirked, “What’s to be distracted by, Mr. Fox?”

Fox dropped his chin in his palm and waited, “What indeed, Mr. Wayne.”

When Selina rounded the corner, Blake’s reaction was the most comical. His mouth dropped and so did the pliers from his hand. Bruce might have laughed had he not felt like someone gut punched him when he saw her for himself.

Blake scrambled to collect the tool off the table and forced his eyes back to the cowl. _Ok I get it now…I can get what Wayne sees…yes_ _,_ _I understand now._

Bruce stood and shook his head. The suit was amazing...she was amazing. The result of Fox’s efforts was a suit that managed to be sleek, beautiful, intimidating and sexy all at the same time. In other words it was vintage Selina.

She gave a small turn and Bruce was forced to remember the morning Fox was arriving in Europe, Selina proud in her beautiful designer dress as she showed it off for him and Alfred in the kitchen. _Damn if this wasn’t just as beautiful and sexy as that...Impact imminent, leave the hatches unbattened for I know I am doomed regardless._

Selina grinned at Bruce and then at Fox as she assessed the feel of the suit. It was slightly thicker than her other pre-Fox infiltration suit, but not by much. The hex pattern was now gone and replaced by thin, raised armor plating. The suit wrapped along her body and the armor seemed molded to the very striations of her muscles. Over her thighs and shoulders and torso there was the supportive armor and an extra floating piece at her elbows. The boots...the boots were where the real difference was to be found. The boots were made into the suit and extended in one fluid piece up into the armor at the apex of her thigh. The result was a suit with no snagging edges despite the thickened exterior. The stomach and chest plates were equally impressive as the bust of it both protected and created a hard sexy line as it arched along the collar bones above her breasts. It culminated in a high flared collar that would protect her throat.

Bruce smiled at her reaction as he settled himself back on Fox’s desk. _She looked like a kid that got handed the keys to the candy store. She was all wide eyes and easy smiles. Even her questions were laced with excited energy. Selina Kyle_ _, I do not believe there should ever be another woman such as you...you have captivated me._

The collar had another feature that Fox demonstrated for her as Blake and Bruce stood transfixed. “You undo this and you have a full head cover. It is Kevlar enforced. Now, not enough to withstand a head shot but it will give some added protection, say for sliding through confined areas and such.”

Selina discussed the floating elbows and expressed concern at the possibility of snagging and Fox jotted down notes. Blake mis-installed his filter twice as he watched Selina and Fox work on the suit. Bruce eventually leaned forward and snapped his fingers in front of his face. Blake flushed red and mumbled an apology. Bruce gave him a pointed look and then went back to staring himself.

Selina mentioned the feel of the suit and the supportive nature of the grooves on the armor. Fox nodded and confessed he had gotten the idea from seeing the athletes in the Olympics. “I watched and in nearly every competition the competitors from every country were utilizing kinesio tape to reduce muscle fatigue and increase stabilization. I figured why not just incorporate it directly into your suit.”

Selina shook her head in wonder, “Fox, the suit actually makes me feel stronger and more flexible than without it. She moved her arms and twisted her waist, “It is incredible, Lucius.” Selina loved the boots and only had minor modifications to add compartments for additional items. Fox showed her the thing that he thought sure she would appreciate the most. He slipped a brace over her left forearm. He tightened it down and then led her over to the center of the room. They looked as if they were about to dance, Fox was behind her with her arm extended into his and she was following his lead.

Bruce shook his head and once again was grateful for the age difference between the two. _Fox was a smooth operator indeed_. He glared over at Blake and satisfied himself that the younger man’s attention was back on his task and off Selina. Blake was in fact focused intently on the cowl and Bruce relaxed. He looked back just in time to see Fox fire a fine-grade grappling hook from the apparatus.

Selina flinched a bit when it deployed and Fox smoothed it over with her explaining the compression mechanism and the small puff of air that accompanied the launch. Bruce was taken aback by how he handled Selina. A smart mix of both care and confidence in her that helped her be open to what he was showing her. She didn’t get defensive, she didn’t avoid asking questions. She was a blend of curious vulnerability and total trust in Fox that made it effortless for her to accept his direction. The result was a complete confidence in the equipment and her ability to handle the mechanisms.

 _Only with Fox would she be this way...she trusts him so completely._ Bruce nodded his head, more convinced than ever about his decision to appoint her to work at Wayne Enterprises. It was a win for everyone, especially for her and Fox. He would give her anything in the world, but money just couldn’t buy what he saw on her face when she was with Lucius. It was beautiful to watch them together. He smiled at the thought of her telling him that he was beautiful as Batman. _Miss Kyle take a look in the mirror, you are the definition of the word._

She asked questions and Fox answered and elaborated to the whys and possibilities of malfunctions how to cut and clear the cable if necessary. When he finished they had spent the better of fifteen minutes just on the one apparatus. Fox looked at her and told her to cut the tangled line. Selina reflexively reached behind her for her knife and he smiled. He held the knife up to her having taken it from her in the locker area when she was changing. She grinned at him and shook her head. “You are a sly Fox,” she grumbled under her breath.

He nodded, “Ms. Kyle, I am proud of this advancement to your suit.” He slid the knife in a custom sheath at her back. “Now we may need to adjust so that it hits you just right, I don’t want it to impact your ability to flex.”

Selina pulled the knife several times and smiled, “Spring-loaded?”

Fox nodded and smiled, “Guaranteed never to leave you empty-handed. “

They laughed and Blake had to smile as he gazed down into lenses of the cowl. _Man, Fox is as  eaten up over this girl as Bruce and Gordon are. Now Alfred I can understand. She is somebody that makes Bruce happy so she automatically makes the old butler happy. And the mutt...well the mutt got its ass pulled out of a hairy mess by her so I understand him too._ But he had a harder time understanding Gordon and Fox. He glanced up and looked at her again. _That suit did hit her at all the right angles... Not as well as that skirt did though...So yeah Bruce I understand a little of what you see in her..._ Blake smiled and tilted the cowl peering intently down at the lens.

Fox stood back and crossed an arm across his stomach and propped an elbow on it while he supported his chin in thought. “I think it has to come down still.”

Selina shrugged, “Let’s find out.” She then took a step away and turned to the side.

Bruce knew what was coming and he looked over at Blake and growled, “Keep your eyes in your head kid.”

Selina did a quick hand stand and slowly dropped her right leg down to touch the floor in front of her face as Fox stepped in and looked at the placement of the knife.

“Geez Louise,” came Blake’s response.

Bruce smirked over at him and nodded his head. “Damn right.”

“Yeah it’s digging in too much.” Her voice was breathy as she lifted her leg back to its starting position and then lowered herself back down. Bruce narrowed his eyes. Even with battered ribs she had always finished that with a twisting recovery move…now tonight she lowered slowly back to her feet and stood gingerly. _She hadn’t liked lifting that hood either..._

Lucius was noting the measurement alterations that needed to be made and then told Selina they needed to go over her gloves before she got to test out the grappling hook. When Lucius stepped away Bruce walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, his hands resting gently on her shoulders as he search her eyes, “You okay?”

She smiled tightly up at him, “What gave me away?”

He pressed another kiss on her forehead as he let one of his hands drift up her back and gently rub her shoulder as he whispered, “The sloppy dismount.”

Selina grimaced, “Yikes, I will be mindful of the Gotham judges in the future, they are harsh.” She hadn’t thought that it was going to be an issue, but her back had gotten progressively stiffer to the point where she was contemplating asking Fox for a hit of some pain meds. She had showed him the spreading bruise on her back and confirmed what she already knew, there wasn’t much beyond ice, heat, and rest that one could do for an injury like that.

He had rolled her in several passes of athletic tape and told her matter-of-factly that the Gotham Rogues quarterback played in the playoffs with a bruised kidney. “They just added an extra line man to his left to prevent another hit.”

Selina had laughed at that and said she had better keep Bruce on that side because Blake might fall to temptation and take her out himself.

Bruce smoothed his hand over her cheek as they talked, “Just making sure you are ready.”

Selina nodded, “I’m alright Bruce. This suit has a lot more protection in it than my motorcycle leathers.” She smiled up at him and he gave her a sad, understanding smile.

“That doesn’t stop me from worrying about damage already done.” He dropped his mouth to her ear, “You care to tell me the beverage that describes your current urine color, Selina?”

Selina blushed a little at that and shook her head, “No, I wouldn’t.” She managed a small smile.

Bruce caught her chin between his finger and his thumb, and looked at her seriously, “Tell me...are you alright? You don’t have to do this tonight you know. There will be other times for you—”

“Bruce, I am fine.” She rested her hands at his waist. “How’s your headache?”

He paused for a moment and almost asked her how she knew and then he looked down at this beautiful observant woman that he knew loved him and he felt what it was like to have a woman care for him again. He hugged her gently to his chest, not since his mother had he had a woman to answer to...to be responsible to. _To be responsible for._ He ran his hand along her back, “Better now...better the second I watched you walk off that elevator.”

Selina smiled bashfully as she looked up at him with those large caramel eyes, “I told you I would be here Bruce,” she slipped her hand into a compartment at her waist, “with your surprise by the way.” She handed him the keys to his stolen Lamborghini. “It’s parked out front in your space. Washed and with a full tank.”

His lips twisted into a smile as he took the keys, “Returning my stolen goods...that is an unexpected kindness, Ms. Kyle.” He held the keys in his hand and had to resist the urge to give it right back to her. He had to resist the urge to give her everything. _None of it meant a damn thing without her anyway._ Hell he would have none of it without her having stolen it back for him. _Damn Selina, do you even have a clue of what you are to me? I think it would scare the hell out of you if you really knew the half of it..._

Fox tapped Bruce on the shoulder, “Ah... Mr. Wayne, if you don’t mind. You are on my time right now.” Lucius separated the two and nodded at Bruce as he led Selina away from him, “Thank you, Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce smiled tolerantly at his CEO, “Make sure she is ready, Lucius. I don’t want any glitches with her gear.”

Fox raised an eyebrow, “Now, Mr. Wayne, just what is it that you think I am doing here?”

Bruce smiled and gave Selina a wink. “I’m just saying we have had ~~a~~ problems with some of your tech lately.”

Fox looked over the top of his glasses as he handed Selina the gloves for her suit. “Pardon?”

“The chemical filter for one,” Bruce nodded over to the cowl, “the video surveillance for another.”

Fox smiled at Selina and shook his head while he reassured her, “You are in good hands Ms. Kyle, have no concerns.” Fox glanced back over his shoulder at Bruce, “The filter issue has been remedied and apparently there wasn’t a problem with the software for the video surveillance. There was just a short in the relay of your headset. The rest of the cowl recorders function just fine. Once the lenses activate the auto record starts.”

It took a second for this to process and then Bruce looked at Selina and his eyes widened. His head snapped to the side as Blake was about to put on the cowl and test the filter. “Hold up!”

Selina grinned as she watched Bruce jog over to the table and snatch the cowl out of Blake’s hand. He slipped it over his head and sure enough the video playback was blinking ready. Bruce tried to hide a smile and failed when he looked over at Selina. She was listening to Fox explain the features of the gloves but had a small smile on her lips as she refused to look up at him.

Blake reached for the cowl as he was pulling it off, but Bruce held a finger up that he needed a moment. He pulled the remote link up and transferred the video to a digital feed and sent it via secure link to his computer’s encrypted server. He erased the video and returned the cowl to Blake.

“What’s all of that about?” Blake looked at Bruce questioningly

Bruce gave him a cool look and said without a trace of humor, “I could show you kid, but then I would have to kill you.”

Blake snorted and shook his head, “Just say none of my business next time, Bruce.”

Wayne smiled at the kid and patted him hard on the back as he walked past.

The video had been on an auto-runback and Blake had already gotten a pretty good look at what had Wayne so tied up in knots. He resigned himself that there was no hope of breaking the spell she had on him because he could feel a little of it himself now and he couldn’t even stand her. _But her ass did not quit…and those legs…damn, too bad that video stopped when it did or I might be completely in love now too._ He smiled as he slipped the cowl over his head vowing he would go to the grave never telling he saw that video.

Fox held her hands as he went through the detailed explanation of the gloves. Blake was only half listening until Fox described the poly steel flat rods that were built-in to her gloves. He explained how when she made a fist the rods linked across the knuckles and formed a steel barrier across them. Bruce was standing beside Fox as he was going over the specs, “It concentrates the force of your strike into a harder, smaller contact area thereby increasing tissue disruption. By extending and rounding the apparatus it creates a wider counter-force absorption for yourself and you have less chance of damaging those lovely hands of yours Ms. Kyle.” Lucius beamed down at her as she popped her fisted hand into her other palm.

“Brass knuckles?” Blake asked from his remote position at Fox’s desk.

“Of a sort Mr. Blake.” Fox smiled over Bruce’s shoulder at the young man. “Are you interested in an upgrade?”

Blake smiled, _Probably wouldn’t hurt._ “A typical heavy weight fighter punches with between seven-fifty to twelve hundred pounds of pressure. How does it stack up to those measurements?”

Fox shrugged and smiled, “I’m not sure, but with Ms. Kyle behind them I imagine they will do damage enough.” He looked down at her and whispered, “We can measure it one day when work is slow and the boss is away.” He nodded over to Bruce who was standing right next him.

Selina gave him a lopsided grin as he tried to entice her with the perks of working with him. It worked. She realized then how amazing that would truly be to work here with Fox every day. She looked over at Bruce who was looking straight at her, gauging her reaction.

His face was hopeful as he looked at her. Selina rolled her eyes and nodded at him. Bruce gave a small victorious fist pump and mouthed _‘Thank you’_ to her.

She just shook her head and dropped her eyes as she tried not to let whatever emotion out that was trying to escape her at that moment. _Alright Wayne, you win. I will do this. I will take this bogus position you created just so I can be near this fantastic man and work for your company where you will be able to keep your beautiful green eyes on me all day, every day._ She looked back up at him and she mouthed, _‘Thank you Bruce_.’

The gratitude and sincerity on her face took him by surprise, as did the softness in her somber brown eyes and he felt that twist in his chest and something gave away.  _Bam-Sunk...to the bottom of the ocean he went. I am finished...I love her...I can’t live without her...I want her...all of her...every bit of her._ He stood from where he sat on Fox’s desk and wiped his hands over his face as he took stock of his situation. _What the hell am I going to do?_ He looked back at her and she was just staring at him and all he could think is that this is written all over me _...she sees how far gone I am for her all the hell over me…and I do not give a damn._

Fox glanced over at Bruce, “If you and Ms. Kyle can break away from one another for a moment longer, I do have one last thing to show off. Mr. Wayne, I do believe you will have a particular appreciation for this addition.” Fox’s lips twisted into a small smile and he patted her hand. “Just another little item to add to your already impressive self-defense arsenal. Something that will make people think twice before engaging you in hand to hand combat.”

He laid his hand atop hers and gave Bruce a grin. “Follow my lead, Ms. Kyle.” He spread his fingers and curled down the tips. The metal rods that ran along the tops and bottoms of the gloves sprang forward and snapped together into razor sharp points in front of each of her fingers. The sound of them unsheathing had everyone but Fox startled. Blake jumped to his feet and was craning to see what had happened.

Selina shook her head and looked at Fox, “Freaking Catwoman.”

He started chuckling, “Honestly Ms. Kyle...I just couldn’t help myself.”

She tried to glare at him and failed. Bruce watched his CEO come undone at his own humor and couldn’t help but laugh himself. He was quick to compose himself and come to Fox’s defense. He had to. Fox had just pulled off the impossible, he had charmed Selina Kyle into gainful employment at Wayne Enterprises. Bruce would defend him against any and all attacks even at his own peril.

“I think they are very practical Selina.” Bruce looked down at her and could tell she was not having the soft touch. He flexed her hand in his and held the steel blades between their faces. “I can think of one occasion already that I wish to hell you had something like this Selina.” He looked down at her and they both thought about that day under the ice. He squeezed her hand and looked down at her waiting for her response.

She sighed and gave him a sad look of defeat. _This was the ultimate sell out to the image of Catwoman._ She looked critically at the blades. They extended out a good two inches from her finger tips and were comprised of two individual pieces of razor sharp steel that joined together to form a curved claw-like blade.

Fox and Bruce shared a look and Fox tried again to sell her on them, “Those are replaceable, so if they break they can be repaired in the field without having to scrap the gloves. I was anticipating a variety of uses...if you were able to get past the humor involved in their conception.” He looked down at her; the statement was an obvious plea for forgiveness.

Selina narrowed her eyes at him. “Fox, if I didn’t love you so much you would be the first person I tried them on.”

He hugged her and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I love you too, and I hope you decide to keep them.” He held her to his chest and patted her back, “I honestly just want you to have the best advantage possible in any situation.” He looked down at her and sighed. “It is extremely difficult to knowingly send you out into danger Miss Kyle. I want you armed to the teeth and protected to the best of my capabilities.”

Bruce shook his head. S _ly Fox indeed. Damn if he wasn’t able to twirl Selina Kyle around his little finger. He squeezed an ‘I love you’ out of her too_. Bruce ran his fingers across his brow and over his eyelids. _Maybe I will have Alfred and Fox show me what the secret is to charming her, to finessing that illusive ‘I love you’ from her sexy red lips._ He looked again at the blades and smiled at Fox. _He was a man that played by the rules. The two inch blades could inflict some heavy damage, but would most likely be non lethal, even if she buried them to the hilt._ Bruce found his voice to advocate for them again, “You are giving away hundreds of pounds against every opponent you face, Selina. You should take every advantage afforded you.”

She regarded both of the men skeptically and looked over their shoulders at Blake. “What about you, Baby Bats? After as much hell as I have given you, I know you will shoot me straight on this.”

He frowned at the insult but stood and walked over, Fox and Wayne stepped aside. “What is it I couldn’t see?”

She brought up her other gloved hand and activated the blades. They sprung out and Blake pulled up short and his eyes widened in shocked surprise. He looked over at Bruce, “Man. I’m glad she didn’t have those before...”

Selina looked over at Fox and smiled, “I’ll take ‘em.”

xxxxx

Blake stood with Fox as he tried the new cape specs. The cape had been shortened four inches on the corners and Fox’s team had altered it so that the shortest point was now in the middle. When he activated the fabric, the cape stood out from his body like the wings of a bird. Flared on the end and tapered into his waist at the side.

Fox looked at him over his glasses. “The IT team ran the specifics through the simulator and the measurements showed that it will still be flight capable. You will have compromised your gliding capability due to the decreased surface area. It will make your flight approach considerably faster though and should relieve your issues with the length when engaging hand to hand.”

Blake nodded then took the current out so the fabric dropped back down behind him. He tried several shuffle steps backwards and then to the sides. Fox watched him as he chewed on the end of his eye glasses. “Nice foot work, Mr. Blake. Are you a boxer?”

Blake glanced up and shrugged. “Not really. I’m a fan of it though. At St. Swithin’s they have a gym and there were some guys from the neighborhood that would come in and work us out. In the academy I sparred some with the other trainees, nothing serious.” He glanced over at Selina, she was watching him as he moved around the floor. He felt the flush rise in his cheeks and tried to ignore her as her eyes remained on him while he tried out the new design.

Fox slipped his glasses in the pocket of his shirt and sat down at his desk. Selina strolled up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, “What’s the verdict?”

Blake shrugged and Selina held back a sigh. Fox folded his arms over his chest and his brows crinkled. “I can only help you if you tell me what you need Mr. Blake.”

The young man slowed and walked up to the desk. “The cape is great, much easier to move with it now. Well...honestly, the boots and cowl really should be adjusted as well. The boots don’t fit and the cowl slips.”

Fox patted Selina’s arm and she stepped back to allow him to rise up out of his chair and walk the short path around the desk. “I have several pair of boots in reserve, do you need a larger or smaller size Mr. Blake?”

“Smaller. Maybe a size and a half.” He felt the burn in his face for real now. _She is going to say something about me not being able to fill Bruce Wayne’s shoes, I just know it_. Instead Selina just pushed up on Fox’s desk and crossed her legs as she watched Fox take the cowl from his hands. He made an adjustment and asked him to try it on. Blake complied and said that it was still too loose.

Fox slid the cowl around his face gauging the movement as he contemplated a fix. He mumbled to himself, “I think it is just missing across the cheek bones.” His eyes brightened and he snapped his fingers lightly together, “I may have just the fix for you.” He disappeared around the corner leaving Selina and Blake alone together. He glanced up at her and she smiled at him, her eyes glittering like an animal that had cornered its prey.

Blake took a deep breath and held silent.

Selina tilted her head, “You really don’t like me at all do you, Baby Bats?”

His eyes flashed up at her and he couldn’t help but retort. “No, I don’t care much for you.”

Selina fixed her unblinking eyes on him and leaned back on Fox’s desk kicking her leg easily. “I’m the one that should be holding a grudge. You did throw me in the slammer the first time we met.”

Blake gave her a snort of derision, “You kidnapped a US Congressman. I was a police officer doing my job.” _You may have everyone else here fooled, but not me._ “You are a criminal, you went to jail where you belong.”

 _Good for him for having the nuts to speak the truth._ Selina continued to watch him with her cool appraising eyes, “What side of the law do you think you are about to start operating on?”

Blake shook his head, “Batman is different. He is fighting for Gotham, for the good of the people. You are only in this for yourself and what you can get out of it. You are a common thief that can’t be trusted.” He stared at her and gave her a knowing look. “We both know what you are even if they don’t. They are all so desperate to see Wayne happy that they willingly overlook what you are, you are a criminal. You take what you want, you do as you please and none of that is going to change just because you are screwing Bruce Wayne. It will be just a matter of time before you revert to your old ways and Bruce will be forced to face facts that you are a criminal and bring you in. _”_

Selina regarded him with strained admiration. _Look at him...all ready to protect Bruce and his legacy from the likes of me... He is the first one of Bruce’s group to call me out on what I’ve done. I’m very impressed, Baby Bats_. “So not only do you not like me in general, but you also don’t approve of my relationship with Bruce.”

“It is not up to me to approve or disapprove of Mr. Wayne’s consorts.” He leveled a piercing gaze at her, “But if you are asking? No I don’t approve. He could do better.”

“I actually _wasn’t_ asking, but it just so happens that I agree with you. He could do better. He could do better with his choice in sidekicks too, and yet here you are.” She kicked her legs over the desk and propelled herself off landing gracefully on the steel stiletto heels. “Looks like we are both going to have to try and make the best out of the choices he’s made.” Selina walked toward him in her signature predatory prowl and paused at his shoulder, “Good for you for saying what you think though, Baby Bats. It’s a relief to know there is a spine under that suit after all. I was beginning to think Fox was going to have to install one for you.”

xxx

Three hours and forty-seven minutes later, John Blake would find out that he had been right about his assessment of Selina Kyle’s character...she was a criminal. She was thief and she shouldn’t be trusted.

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Edits Credit belongs  to Cheed

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Lyrics belong to Tom Jones Whats New Pussycat

Primrose Quotes:

Jealousy

Jealousy is such a self-defeating emotion, Like trying to swim the ocean, Or change the course of a clock’s motion. All it does is infest its hosts, Who feel inferior to all or most, Until they find those they can control And thus steal a superior role. Thoughts and actions they then own While dominating another lonely drown. Unfortunately the jealous never see The rest of the world who always flee Their self deprecating chagrin blaming Others for the maudlin state they’re in.

 

Gregory Huyette :

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**_PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY AND REVIEW!_ **

**_PLEASE!_ **

**_-Slingblade-_ **

 


	18. chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 

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Bruce and Blake had suited up and Selina had finished her prep work with Fox. All that remained now was lining out the game plan.

Fox had repurposed the area where Bruce had implemented the sonar project into a space he now referred to as the war room. Gone was the wall of smaller monitors fed by the cell phone sonars, replaced now by fourteen HD displays, each no less than ~~f~~ orty-six inches. Fox had three dedicated to the team and the others were an array of satellite feeds, topological maps, and still photographs of the target. He had three split screens that fed info from the GPD and local newscasts. Four others were tied directly to Wayne Enterprises owned satellites where he was able to pull up live video feeds and triangulate them to the GPS coordinates of the team.

Bruce and Blake had the cameras built into their cowls and Selina’s was in her goggles. She looked at her monitor and noticed that it was currently filming the ceiling of Applied Sciences.

Fox smiled at her, “I am going to devise a toggling array for your lenses so that when your ears are up it will default the main feed to an alternate on your base mask.

Selina narrowed her eyes at him and smirked, “You are pushing it with the cat references, Fox. “

He kissed her gloved hand, “I apologize dear.”

Selina wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she stood behind him while he worked in front of the computer. He pulled up the satellite feeds of Cedarpark. There was no visible activity, but Selina recognized several anomalies. “There shouldn’t be lights here and all of this,” she pointed out the access road, “was blocked just yesterday.”

Bruce nodded and listened as she lined out the perimeter and spoke to the obstacles they would be facing. She told them about the drainage canal that led into the basin and lined it out as a possible entry or retreat if needed. Blake looked down at her. “How do you know all of this?”

“I used to shop there,” she deadpanned not offering further explanation.

Blake glanced at Bruce and then Fox. It was apparent neither of them were questioning her further. When Blake looked at Selina again she stared back at him blankly.

“You have a problem?” Selina glowered at him expectantly.

“Well, frankly...yes. They know we are coming. We have no element of surprise and you are talking like we have a possibility of going in on stealth mode. Retreating down canals and such, when we don’t. It would be suicide to try and go in without using the vehicles.” He threw his arms up in dismissive disbelief, “What would it gain us anyway? We would be trapped behind enemy lines, cut off and surrounded.”

Bruce looked down at the cowl in his hand and flexed his bare hand against the black mask. “She wasn’t talking about us going that way, Blake. She was talking about herself. She would infiltrate and feed us information on Scarecrow. We would do the extraction, or worst case scenario...her evacuation.” His voice was even and devoid of emotion as he spoke.

Selina raised her eyebrow and looked over at Bruce. _He was the Batman, even without the cowl he was the Batman_.

Blake responded with a soft, “Oh.”

Bruce focused in on an image and pointed it out to Fox. “What is that?”

Fox magnified the satellite relay and the photo of a rocket launcher came into view.

“Three more,” Selina called them out as she pointed to the silhouettes on the roof tops.

“Another on the west wall,” Blake indicated his finding. “Gessh they are loaded for bear.”

“Or Bats…” Selina said softly looking over her shoulder at the two men.

Bruce returned her gaze and the warning, “Or cats, Selina.”

Fox watched Bruce as he spoke and felt his admiration for the younger man grow. Even though it was killing him to send her into danger he wasn’t even entertaining the notion of cutting Selina out of the action. He rubbed his eyes and patted Selina’s arm before giving it a small squeeze. She dropped her head to his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “Do you realize how much that man loves you Ms. Kyle?”

Selina nodded and hugged Fox tighter around his neck, “I love him too, Lucius.” She shook her head and snorted a laugh at how easy her admission came, “I love him something terrible.”

Fox rolled his eyes and laughed. _They finally figured that part out at least...thank God for small miracles._ “Keep your eye on the boys tonight. Bring them back in one piece.”

“My pleasure,” Selina tried not to smile as she watched Bruce coaching Blake on what his role was to be during the raid. He spoke with quiet authority as he sectioned off the perimeter and identified the landmarks. He reiterated the escape paths that Selina had called out and then spoke to the possible extraction and fallback points. She looked at him with undisguised admiration as he broke down what he wanted. Blake was rigidly attentive to Bruce’s direction and Selina left them to it. Her hanging over Blake’s shoulder making him nervous wasn’t going to help anyone tonight. _He needs to loosen up...have a little fun. What was the good of being a Baby Bat if you couldn’t have some fun with it?_

Fox watched her slip silently away and he noted that Bruce’s eyes followed her departure as well. He remembered an excerpt from a book his well read assistant had left for him to peruse _. “You can’t guide a woman anymore than you can direct the drift of the ocean...you can only love her and hope the tide of her spirit carries you with her on a life’s journey.”_ He smiled to himself _...I might as well start the poetry courses myself. I am getting caught up in the emotional overflow from these two tortured souls._

xxx

Selina looked on as Fox lead Blake away, pressing her lips together as she tried not to be jealous. She had wanted a go at the Tumbler, but Bruce’s plan had her coming in under the radar and Blake and himself in the Tumbler. As a result, Fox was taking Blake down to the deepest level of Applied Sciences to run through the Tumbler’s controls.. _.I will get my shot with it...that will be my first project as head of Bruce’s security detail..._ She consoled herself by imagining how it would be to drive the vehicle, sliding it sideways while she dropped the clutch in heels _. Six-inch red ones_...She promised herself as she adjusted the tension on the grappling hook and mumbled to herself, “Hooker red...with lipstick to match.”

Selina felt his eyes on her as she worked with the device. She patiently wound the cabling back onto the spool and primed the mechanism to deploy. She glanced up and gave him a small smile. “You have something you wish to discuss, Mr. Wayne?” She lowered her eyes back to her project, “That’s me trying to start a conversation with you by the way.”

His lips twitched at the familiar banter as he watched her securing the grappling device. “Everything check out with your gear?” His voice was low and Selina knew he was slipping into the Batman.

She nodded and laid the screwdriver down on the table and slipped her arm back into the straps. It was strange to see him wearing the suit with his head uncovered. _He is in no man’s land…caught somewhere between the billionaire and the bat..._ He seemed hesitant to approach and Selina wondered if he was already too far in the deep seriousness for her to say goodbye to Bruce Wayne. “Will you buckle me up?” She held out her arm to him.

Bruce looked at her for a moment before setting his cowl and gloves on the table and slipping around the table to her side. His ungloved hands threaded the straps through the buckles and he secured it down. “Tell me if it is too tight.” His eyes were calm and his voice husky. Selina blinked and nodded as he strapped the device to her forearm. When he finished he stayed next to her and she found herself struggling not to step away. Her eyes stayed fixed on his hand that seemed to be lingering on her arm. His voice came again, low and gravelly, “Don’t be shy.”

Her lips pulled into a small smile and she lifted her chin and looked at him. His face was a mask of calm control that faltered only when he tucked a strain of hair behind her ear. She blushed and dropped her eyes from his intense gaze. She heard his intake of breath and then felt him lifting her face to his. “You are stunning, Selina.” He let his eyes travel over her face and then down her body as he took in the sexy curves revealed by the skin-tight suit before he returned to her eyes.

His focus was so heavy that she nearly felt the caress of them as they slid over her. _He wanted me to see him looking...he wants me to know what I do to him. He isn’t a bit afraid to show me what he feels..._ Then she did feel his touch, as he ran a warm thumb slowly over her lips.

“I don’t think Gotham will be ready for you, Catwoman. You will devastate them with your beauty alone.” He lowered his lips to hers and whispered, “I have already been victimized by you…mesmerized by you.” Again her cheeks flushed and her eyelids closed briefly as she hid from the compliment. When she opened them again they were filled with mix of love and desire that twisted his heart. He shook his head in amazed disbelief, “You are truly... ravishing, Selina Kyle.”

She had to force herself to hold steady, “Mr. Wayne, I’ve already told you how I feel about seeing you in the suit.” She ran her hand over the chest plate and gave him a sexy smile as she slid her arms around his shoulders and maneuvered her body into place against his.

 _A perfect fit...even with the suit, she fits me perfectly._ Bruce slid his arms around her waist and held her close. “Selina, I want you to take care of yourself tonight.”

Selina nodded and ran her nose along his cheek, a playful gleam lit her eyes, “That’s what I do best, Bruce. I look out after number one.”

Bruce kissed her cheek and nuzzled under her jaw, “I’m serious Selina. I have Blake to take care of and I need to know that you are safe. That you aren’t going to be putting yourself in a bad position. You are already less than one hundred percent.”

Selina balked at that, but found that she couldn’t deny it. _Shit, shit_. Thoughts of her mental breakdown on the roof were foremost in her mind. That little display took precedence over the physical aches in her chest and back. _What the hell must he think of me? He probably doesn’t trust me to keep it together tonight. A typical hysterical, weak female. Great. Fantastic._ She fixed her eyes over his shoulder and forced her voice to be mechanical and steady, “I’m sorry about earlier today, Bruce. I don’t know—”

His lips were on hers and her apology was cut off by his mouth; needy, hungry, and demanding. Bruce sealed a fiery kiss on her with the firm insistent press of his lips. His hand tangled in her hair and he broke away, tilting her head to give him access to her ear. Selina heard his voice low and dangerous, “Don’t you dare tell me that you regret letting me be a man to you, Selina.”

Her words caught in her throat and her eyes widened as he spoke. The emblem on his chest consumed her vision as the voice of the Batman enveloped her, “I know you think it is weakness to give yourself to me, but it’s not, Selina. It takes more strength to trust me with that part of you than it does to battle through things alone.” He pressed her hard against him as his hand found even stronger purchase in her hair, “I don’t think less of you for needing me, Selina _._ We belong to each other.My greatest purpose in life is to protect and love you and I’ll do both of those to my last dying breath.”

He drew her back to look in her eyes, palming her face delicately in his hand even as he fisted her hair painfully with the other. “We have to reconcile what we are to Gotham with who we are to each other. You are going to have to find the balance between being Catwoman and being Selina Kyle.” He slid his hand down her face, over her throat and down her body as he pulled her head back with his other hand.

Her mouth opened as she drew in a heavy breath, her stomach clenching with unfulfilled desire _._ Her mind reeled from the implications as her body trembled with confused longing for both the Batman and Bruce Wayne

Bruce’s eyes blazed as he took in her open need for him, it was primal desire that sparked between them. _We are two dangerous, lonely creatures that finally found each other. Both accustomed to being the apex predator, neither of us knowing how to give ground. I get it Selina...I know what you are feeling._ Bruce took a breath and let his eyes drift over her, “You and I are here together for a reason. Loving me doesn’t weaken you. I know what you are capable of.” He flexed his hand and extended the stretch of her neck, revealing her delicate throat. He pressed his lips against the exposed tender flesh, “But _this_...I like knowing _this_ part of you exists.. if only just for me…that you are exposed…unguarded like this...only for me.” He nodded in approval, “That you trust me...”

His nose flared as he savored the smell of her skin, the slight shift in her chemistry as her need for him grew. Pheromones mixing with the fragrance of her soap and the alien scent of her new suit. His mind flashed to Wayne Metallurgy and he found himself searching her skin for the heady mix of gunpowder and ocean. _God help me it would have sent me over the edge, I would have taken her right here..._ Bruce collected himself and looked down at her. _Throat exposed...pulse strumming just under her skin...fragile and defenseless...trusting me not to hurt her...trusting me to protect her_. Bruce sighed in satisfaction, “Is it only me that has seen you this way, Selina?”

Selina swallowed and managed to whisper out a soft “Yes” as she tried to wrap her mind around the terrifying vulnerability she felt at his hands.

Bruce nodded and a deep rumble of approval escaped him as he ran his teeth along her neck. “No one else will ever know that you can be this…that you can open yourself like this. But I know it… “

Again she managed a soft “Yes.”

Bruce tugged her hair harder, opening her chest wider to him, “Are you afraid of it, Selina?”

She tensed against him and he saw the tremble in her lips as she whispered out, “Yes.” Bruce’s piercing eyes fixed on her lips as he gently released her and let her recover. She slowly pulled back up to meet his eyes and she felt the liquid heat pooling in her stomach as the want and need for him ached in her. Her arms twined around his neck, “I’ve never felt like this before, Bruce. I need you...so much...it hurts.” Her voice was low as she revealed a small truth, “I feel...out of control.”

He looked down at her and his cool green eyes captured hers, “You don't have to control it, Selina.” 

Her eyes widened at that suggestion, “You think you can control me, Bruce?” Her head tilted as her glittering brown eyes appraised him...challenged him.

He regarded her with a soft benevolent eyes, “If I needed to.” Bruce dropped his hands to his side and told her what he knew to be the truth, “I could.. if you needed me to...wanted me to.."

Selina looked at him with a defiant lift of her chin. “You think a lot of yourself Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce nodded, “ _You_ think a lot of me Ms. Kyle. I am just observant enough to notice...and tactless enough to call you out on it.” He looked at her arms that circled him and raised his brow, “No one is holding you here, kitten. You are right where you want to be, with exactly who you want to be with.” Her lips parted as she started to retort. Bruce pressed his mouth to hers and slipped his tongue over her moist lips. She responded immediately to the welcomed invasion, moaning a soft, quiet sound of acceptance. He felt her arms tighten against him as her leg slid up his and draped over his hip.

 _Hell yes. Selina, just give into it._ He controlled the kiss without laying a hand on her, moving his mouth against hers until she was pressing against him looking for relief. Breaking away he whispered, "Tonight Selina, we are going to handle this with Scarecrow and then we are going to the safe house. I'm going to show you exactly how good it can feel when you give yourself to me." He smiled knowingly at her and slid his face against hers as he whispered, "Monte Carlo taught me a lot about what you like. Its time to build off that I think."

Selina, released him and took an involuntary step back. His eyes pinned her down and she licked her lips nervously as she watched him carefully.

 _Careful Selina...I’m just barely hanging on here. You lick those lips again and I might not be able to resist. You don’t want me turning loose on you right now..._ _and w_ _e definitely don’t need to take this home tonight. I don’t think the sound proofing in my bedroom will be enough to protect Alfred from us tonight..._

Her eyes were large and her voice was breathy, “Bruce...I’ve never felt...”

“I haven’t either Selina.” His eyes flashed as they devoured her, “This is right. I look at you, Selina, and I know…you are meant for me.” _Do you even understand what you are doing to me?_

Selina struggled to breathe, it was like a vice around her heart squeezing her...crushing her with the passion she felt for him. She blinked her eyes and pulled a thin breath. “I think you are meant for me too.”

 _Damn straight…Finally you see it...how perfect we are...how right this all is._ His lips found hers and his tongue slipped against her teeth as he claimed her mouth again. It was her soft protest that it was too much and the taste of her tears that finally slowed him. He deepened the strokes of his tongue and murmured a command against her mouth. “Stop holding back. Give yourself to me Selina. You won’t regret it. I will love you like no other.”

She shuddered in a breath and forced herself to speak. “I want to Bruce, but there is more…you need to know...I need you to know…”

“Tell me.” It was a challenge, spoken by a man that knew nothing could dissuade him from his chosen course. _Anything she tries to put between us will be like draping a gossamer web in front of a charging bull. She is so beautifully stubborn and impossibly naive that she actually believes there is something that would keep me from her._ A sobering realization suddenly gripped him. _It only takes her believing it...she will keep herself from you...she will run._ Bruce pulled her securely against him _,_ “Tell me _.”_ It was a demand now. His eyes searched her face and he waited impatiently to settle this between them.

She nodded, “Tonight...after...” She stopped herself and took another breath as she looked around them for Fox and Blake.

Bruce flexed his jaw, “Should I be worried?” His voice was low and guarded.

Remembering the haunted look in his eyes she kept her voice soft and reassuring, “I’m not running, Bruce.”

He kissed her forehead and whispered, “You better not.” He ran his knuckles against her jaw, “Just don’t leave me, Selina. Anything else I can deal with.”

Selina looked at him through her long dark lashes, “I hope so Bruce.” She raised her face to him and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth before she reluctantly backed away from him. She looked down at the table and her head tilted as a mischievous smile curved her lips. Her hands slipped over the pointed ears of the cowl and her eyes drifted back up to his face. She picked up the mask and held it higher, closer to her face as she examined it closely. Selina caressed the side of it lovingly with her thumb and she was rewarded with the intense burn in his green eyes. They nearly glowed as he watched her holding the symbol he had worked so hard to create.

_The batcowl...a representation of all that was good and just in Gotham... It must be such a contradiction for him to see it in my hands...in the hands of a thief._

She turned it toward him, gripping it securely with both her gloved hands. She presented it to him with a sly smile. It widened into a devilish grin as her claws sprang and the glinting steel flashed in bright contrast against the black graphite. _The bat and the cat..._

“Time for us to go to work Big Guy.”

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xx EDIT CREDIT to CHEED xx

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	19. chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 

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Blake relished the moment. He was bringing in the notorious Scarecrow. _Me, the skinny kid from St. Swithin’s, is brining in Gotham’s most wanted fugitive._

He pulled Scarecrow’s unconscious body free from the falling debris of the parking garage. He braced him against the shifting railing of the collapsing structure. Crane’s head sagged against Blake’s armored shoulder as blood dripped from the fresh horizontal marks that slashed across his face.

Blake activated his cape as he snapped a cable from his utility belt around the belt at Scarecrow’s waist. Before he leapt he prayed that Fox and all of his calculations had created a cape that would support the weight of himself and his prisoner.

A word of encouragement in his ear from Fox confirmed to him that the added weight would not prove an issue. “Bat 2, you will need to ensure you give yourself extra distance to burn off the speed. You will be coming in hotter with the extra load.”

“Copy,” Blake shouted as he dove off the structure, his gloved hands grasping the labels of Scarecrow’s tattered grey Armani suit.

x

Selina was grinning like a lunatic as she ran across the top level of the parking tower toward the edge of the building. The structural supports were failing and the concrete was buckling under her feet.

Fox’s voice manifested in her ear, “Kat, immediate evac to Echo Papa Alpha. Repeat Immediate Evac to Echo Papa Alpha. Bat 2 has Scarecrow on Level 3. Bat 1 en route to meet you both at evac point.” His voice came again more urgent. “Move it kid, you don’t have much time.”

She never hesitated as she approached the railing, she was at a dead run when she shot the grappling hook into the concrete and launched herself over the metal barrier. The line played out in a blurring whirl, when it caught it whipped her back into the structure two levels down. She jettisoned the cable and readied herself for a hard landing. She brought her feet together and softened her knees. When she impacted, the combined strength of both her legs together would keep her bones from breaking, the soft flex in her knees would keep her ligaments and tendons from shredding.

As her feet contacted she collapsed bonelessly, tucking and curling in on herself, she allowed her momentum to roll her across the ground. The armor of the suit absorbed the abrasion of the concrete and she spun to her feet gracefully. Never losing a second, she was already racing down the declining ramp, arms and legs pumping for everything she was worth. She saw the shadow as Blake jumped a second before the deafening roar as Level 5 pancaked down onto the level above her. Debris and dust plumed around her and everything went white.

x

Bruce listened to Fox call out the evacuation to the team as he powered the Tumbler toward the evac point.

He punched up the video feed and a cursed quietly as Selina’s video feed clouded over with smoke.

“Base, get a GPS lock on Kat. She is still in the structure.” His voice was urgent as he slid the Tumbler to a halt. Blake’s dark form slipped over the ground as he followed Fox’s direction and glided to an effortless stop.

Fox’s voice came again. “She is in the structure. No way to tell what level, but she is moving and she is moving fast.”

Bruce cursed as he popped the canopy of the vehicle and rushed out to assist Blake. _The last thing I need is Crane waking up and dosing him, it was bad enough going toe to toe with the dozens of fight zombies he had created._ Bruce slipped a plastic cuff from his belt and wound it around the wrist of Blake’s still unconscious prisoner.

Blake grinned under his cowl as he watched Bruce secure the Scarecrow. It was a rush like he had never felt before. Scarecrow had thrown everything he had at them and they had persevered. In his last ditch attempt to escape the doctor had detonated explosives rigged in the fourth level of the parking garage.

Selina had been with him as they were pursuing Crane through the connecting sky walks from the abandoned mall. They were pinned by gunfire from the remaining soldiers, the Drug Doctor was escaping to his vehicle. Selina nodded at Blake that he should take him out. Blake kicked through the broken windows of the glass tunnel and jumped, sailing across to the fourth level of the structure, leaving Selina to occupy the remaining men while he took out the main target.

Blake snapped back from his memory as a deafening roar preceded the collapse of Level 3, the heavy load immediately began to buckle Level 2. It seemed to be unfolding in slow motion as the structure imploded on itself. The walkways separated and dropped away from the abandoned mall.

Blake felt the smile fade from his lips as he watched them fall. “Selina? Fox, do you have a read on her?”

The response from Fox was immediate and abrupt, “Mind your call signs Bat 2.” A pause then more gently, “There is too much interference to get a reading. Stand by.”

Bruce slowly turned and watched the building fall...Level 2 collapsed, weakened from the impact of the immense weight, the metal struts failed and the concrete beams crumbled. As it dropped his eyes were drawn to a flash of color. Exploding out of the parking lot exit ramp came a smoking yellow Ferrari 458 Spider.

x

The Italian sports car blew through a lowered safety guard sending splintering wood skyward as the building slammed down behind it. It slid sideways and the spinning tires caught and just managed to pull it around the concrete pillars of the breezeway. It disappeared under the canopy only to reappear as it raced up the narrow pedestrian walkway. There was only one person that drove like that. Bruce relaxed marginally, still waiting for the visual confirmation before he would allow himself to turn the fear into angry relief.

Upon closer inspection it became apparent the vehicle itself was not on fire, dust was billowing off the chassis of the vehicle. Bruce flexed his jaw. _Selina, you will be the death of me._ He stared impassively at the car as the windshield wipers streaked through the heavy concrete powder on the glass.

Blake grinned and gave a little whoop of excitement when the car fishtailed around several abandoned vehicles as the building shuddered to the ground. Plumes of dust bloomed into the air behind the vehicle as it powered toward their position. Blake shook his head smiling as he watched the convertible top retract. Then it was a mass of hair streaming behind her as she drove. The concrete powder blowing out of the long brown strands gave the illusion that she was on fire as well. _She had been on fire._ Blake was reminded of all he had seen her do tonight... _She damn sure had been on fire._

“Base, we have a visual on Kat. She is clear.” Bruce’s voice never wavered as he called out the information to Fox.

“Hell yes!” Blake cheered as he clapped Bruce on the back in triumph.

Bruce gave him a look of annoyance as he turned back and watched the car slide dangerously around the curves of the ramp. With the top down and driver’s window busted out he had a good view of the dusty driver. Selina was grinning ear to ear, singing along with the blasting the radio as the lyrics to Crazy Train blared from the radio.

Blake laughed in relief. _Selina Kyle i_ s crazy. _If I didn’t believe it before I damn sure believe it now._ Blaring Ozzie Osbourne as she flew up the eroded dirt road toward their rendezvous point. Blake smiled in admiration, they may have had a rough start, but she damn sure had his back tonight. He would have been toasted a couple of times after he had been separated from Bruce, if not for her. She had just appeared at his side and gave him that wheels off grin of hers and it was like a switch flipped between them and they were kicking some ass together.

He watched her climb out of the vehicle, powdered completely white. She sheepishly dusted off the legs of her suit as she smiled at Bruce. Blake felt a small pang of envy at the sexy look Wayne received. Blake chastised himself. _She is getting to me now too...That’s just great. Gordon will think this is hilarious..._

Bruce hauled the waking Doctor to his car and deposited him into the driver’s seat. He slid a metal brace over the steering wheel and around the flexible tie on his wrist.

Crane’s head lolled to the side as he struggled to regain consciousness. His voice slurred out a stream of indistinguishable words. Bruce cut off the motor and the music stopped.

“Aw man,” Selina complained, “That was my jam.”

Bruce gave her a suffering look as he opened the comlink to the police. “Gordon, you have an appointment with the good doctor. Pick him up at the access road between the garage and Poly-America.”

Gordon’s voice echoed on all of their radios. “Copy. Nice work.”

Selina perched on the fender of the car and patted the hood as she gave Bruce a suggestive wink, “Wonder what this baby is running with..?” Selina could see his eyes narrow imperceptibly as he considered her question.

Blake picked up on the innuendo and he knew exactly where this was going and he elected to remove himself from the situation. He was already feeling guilty and more than a little pervy about the video and he wasn’t going to add anything else to it. He glanced over at them and dropped his head. He felt like the kid that thought his older bro’s girlfriend was hot. _Not cool Blake...Very not cool. Not to mention Wayne would drop me down a shaft in the Batcave and leave me for dead if he even began to pick up on that vibe..._

Bruce considered Selina’s question for a moment. “I’m surprised that you are ready to move on from the Tumbler already. You haven’t even had a chance to drive it.”

The insinuation hung between them for a few seconds before she bit, “Are you offering?”

Bruce had to force himself not to react to her hopeful, childlike excitement. He stood in front of her and looked over his shoulder at Blake who was purposefully immersing himself in the study of the patrol officers as they moved toward their location.

“You good taking the bike?”

Blake nodded and Selina made a face. Bruce whispered, “You can’t drive them both dear. You need to learn to share.”

She shrugged and smiled, running her finger down the front of his chest. “You know I don’t like people touching my things.”

The message was received loud and clear by Bruce who couldn’t help but feel a renewed urgency to clear the scene. “Debrief the Boss. Let him know not to be expecting us tonight.”

Blake nodded as he forced himself to ignore the sexual tension in the air.

Selina slid off the car and winked at him. “Might let Gordon know there are eight more gagged and bagged at the mall, fifth level concourse.”

Blake looked at her obviously impressed. “Eight…by yourself. How did you manage that?”

Selina smiled, “A lady never reveals her secrets.” She walked past him to the dark hulking vehicle. “Nice job tonight Baby Bats.”

Blake glared at her, “Will you please stop calling me that!”

Selina paused and smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Well I have to call you something…I can’t just use your name.” She gestured over to the waking prisoner, “Not in front of company anyways.” Her head tilted and she grinned again, “Maybe I will just call you _Robin_ …”

He looked at her with as much venom as he could muster for a person that had saved his ass repeatedly just minutes before. Then he thought of the video and sighed. _Guess that makes us even._ He looked at her reproachfully and curiosity got the best of him, “How did you know?”

Selina held up his wallet, the smile never changed as she watched him process.

“I thought I lost…” He snatched it out of her hands and cursed loudly. “I can’t believe you—” he sputtered out the words.

Selina laughed, “Never lose sight of what people are, Robin. I _am_ a criminal. I _am_ a thief. But I _am_ considerably more than just a _common_ thief.

Blake fumed. _She must have taken it at Bruce’s this morning. I looked for it for hours in the car and around Wayne’s guest room._ He thought of Alfred and his lips pressed together in an unhappy line. _He had to have known she took it. No wonder the old butler had looked so amused when I told him I was missing it. Alfred had just said that he was sure it will make an appearance again soon and in the most unlikely of places._

Blake glared after her as she retreated, his eyes couldn’t help but drop down to her butt as she walked away. That slinky twist of hers drew his eye to it like it had its own gravitational pull. He shut his eyes and exhaled a frustrated breath as he popped the wallet in his open palm. Blake shook his head as he looked back up at the two of them. Bruce held his hand out to her and assisted her up onto the armored car. _She didn’t need his help. Hell, she could backflip onto the damn thing if she wanted. This was a fact he was sure that Bruce was very aware of, but there he was anyway, acting like he was opening a cab door for her. It was...classy._ Blake sighed. _I have a long way to go to be anything like Bruce Wayne..._

Blake looked down at his wallet and acknowledged that his assessment of her had been right all along. She was a criminal...she was a thief...granted, an uncommon one, but a thief nonetheless. He slipped the leather wallet into a compartment on his belt reminding himself of his own warning that she shouldn’t ever be trusted. A small smile softened his face as he heard the Tumbler rumble to a start. _I definitely shouldn’t trust her...but I do. One night working with her and I already do._

He had trusted her with his life earlier and she had come through in spades. He thought of what Gordon had said about it being a relief she was playing for the home team and Blake was now forced to agree. _I damn sure prefer fighting with her than against her._ A strange look passed over his face as his head snapped up and he shouted at the departing vehicle, _“Hey! Did you take my cell phone too?!”_

X

Selina spun the dark vehicle onto the access road and followed Bruce’s directions down the back alley to the penthouse. He depressed a button on the console and all of the lights in the vicinity went dark, the Tumbler had been operating on infrared anyways so it was unaffected. She did feel the loss of response at the controls and she gripped the wheel tighter. “What the...”

Bruce’s voice was low and raspy, “Automatic entry.” He pointed at the dark around them, “Electromagnetic pulse disables electrical systems for miles. Protects the entrance from prying eyes.” The car slid into an open steel support structure. It stopped short not traveling down the long drive. Selina could make out endless garage doors and the shapes of various motorcycles and vehicles parked in the open space. The floor dropped beneath them and they were lowering down under the structure.

Selina smiled as the car rolled forward and the engine rumbled to a stop. The floor lifted back into place behind them. The whine of the hydraulic lift spoke to the incredible load it supported.

Bruce clicked on the communication systems and turned off the targeting computer. Alfred’s cell phone number appeared at the top of the list and Selina saw the messages that had passed between the two men.

BAT1: _All went well. Don’t wait up. Call if you need us._

Prime Minister: _Relieved to hear that. I will be expecting you and the missus for dinner tomorrow. Call if plans deviate._

The prompting cursor blinked and Bruce typed a response _._

Bat1: _Acknowledged._

Selina smiled at him slyly and tilted her head. “No explanation required as to _why_ you aren’t coming home?”

Bruce remained expressionless beneath the mask. “I’m the Batman, I don’t have a curfew. Alfred is a man too by the way…and an intelligent one at that. He already knows why.”

Selina felt her face flush beneath her own mask at that little revelation and squirmed uncomfortably. Nothing like your business being out there, especially to the prim and proper, Alfred Pennyworth.

Bruce looked at her critically, “He understands who you are to me. Hell, he saw it before either of us did.” Bruce searched her face and warned her, “Don’t over think things and don’t create obstacles where there aren’t any. I’ve never treated Alfred like he was invisible and he has never treated me like anything less than the master of the house. But this is between me and you tonight.”

Selina nodded, not trusting her voice to respond.

“How about we stop talking about Alfred?” Bruce suggested.

Selina nodded again slowly as she unhooked the safety harness. “How about we stop talking all together?”

Bruce watched her climb out of the harness, slipping her lithe body free from the confines of the Kevlar straps and he realized they might not make it to the suite. “I thought you liked it when I talked to you.”

She noticed then that he was still the Bat. Still hidden beneath the mask. She wanted them both, but now it was Bruce Wayne she chose…it was Bruce she needed tonight.

He hit the decompression lever and the passenger compartment lifted out of the body of the vehicle. Selina reflexively shifted toward him and he pulled her the rest of the way; sliding her in front of him as they emerged from the vehicle.

“I do like it. You turn me on with that sexy mouth of yours.” She slid her legs around him and settled against his body. She was immediately frustrated at not being able to feel his response to her. She was hyper aware of the uncomfortable friction her breasts were experiencing against the interior shell of her suit as she ran her hands over his shoulders and up his neck.

“I know it turns you on…your body tells me it does.” He let his eyes skim over her, “Your body tells me everything I ever wanted to know about you.” He lowered his voice and ran his nose up her neck, scraping her cheek with the cowl. “It tells me you like it when I take control of you. That you like it when I call the shots.” He bit gently on the corner of her lips. “It tells me you like it rough sometimes too, even if it scares you.” He looked at her and the passion for him was burning in her eyes. “It tells me that you are mine and that you don’t really know how to handle that.” She trembled under his hands and he laughed. “See there, darling, you are shaking because you don’t know whether to fuck me or fight me.” His eyes narrowed when he heard her claws unsheathe and he was acutely aware of their presence as they scraped lightly down the sides of the cowl. His head tilted and he chuckled, “Perhaps a little of both then…?”

Bruce stood and pulled her up with him stepping over the flare of the hood he swung Selina over and landed her easily beside him. He stepped off the Tumbler and turned back to her, watching as she swished toward him, her hips swiveling in that familiar sexy sway, metal claws glinting in the emergency lighting.

He stood there mesmerized by her, the low light illuminated her armor and she looked like a dream...a ghostly apparition walking toward him, the white powder softening the dark hardness of the suit. He felt her hands caressing his cowl as she stood over him. She leveraged back his head using her grip on the sharp points. He inhaled as he allowed her the control, “You want me to leave it on when I take you Catwoman? Maybe right here across the hood of this car while wearing the cowl…”

She made a soft grunt of approval at that idea. “That sounds right up my alley Bats.” Her left hand caressed along the pointed ear and the other moved down the side of his face. The claws retracted with a metallic snick as her gloved fingers glided over his unprotected chin. She lifted his head up and made sure he saw her remove her own mask and toss it aside, “But I want Bruce Wayne tonight…”

He was so taken aback with that request that he didn’t feel her finger slip under the cowl until it was too late. He grabbed at her hand, “Stop!” His command was harsher than he intended but she just smiled as the cowl disarmed.

“You afraid I was going to get the shock treatment?” She shook her head and smiled, “That may work on your clown friends Bruce, but not me.” She pulled the cowl from his head and held it in her clawed hand as she smoothed back his hair gently with the other. “You are something, Mr. Wayne…” Her brown eyes sized him up and she sighed in contentment.

Bruce pulled off his gloves and tossed them on the ground in front of the cooling vehicle. He wrapped his arms around her at the waist and lifted her off the hood. He carried her against his chest, sliding her down his body as he walked to the lift. His lips pressed over hers and she groaned her approval as he claimed her mouth. The attack was unrelenting and she wrapped her legs around him, supporting herself with them and her arms that she braced over his shoulders. She strained against him, lost in the physical and emotional need. It was tearing her apart. “Bruce, please…please…hurry.”

Her soft pleas finally reached him and he came back to himself. He pressed the button and the elevator began the quick assent to the penthouse.

Selina opened her eyes as she watched the floors skim passed them. His cape billowed out behind him as the air whipped around them. His loose hair blew against his uncovered face and Selina shivered at the sight of him. Bruce and the Bat. There really was no distinction between the two anymore. She had asked for Bruce Wayne, but you couldn’t have him without the bat. He was a man that had a foot in two worlds. A billionaire vigilante. An American capitalist with connections to the highest ranking politicians in the world, and an alter ego that knew the faces of depravity in the world’s darkest city.

The dark camouflage paint around his eyes wrapped around from his brow to his temples. The cowls movement against his face had long since smeared the paint from the once perfect ovals applied around his eyes. She tilted her head as she considered the dark mask around his eyes, it made him look dangerous even without the cowl.  _That is a hell of a look... I wonder if Blake could pull that off...?_

Her lips twisted and she thought of the junior Batman. _He really needed his own identity, Fox had agreed with me on that as well._ Selina slid her hand up Bruce’s face and smoothed the dark oily paint over his cheek bones, shaping it into sharp points above and below his eyes. Her smile faltered and she kissed him. _God he was beautiful._.. “Shut your eyes, Bruce.”

He complied feeling her hands brush lightly over his eyelids as they met on the bridge of his nose. “What are you doing to me Selina?” His voice was amused but edgy from need, his hand had never stopped the firm kneading on her ass.

She squirmed to get in better position and he held her firmly against him with a warning growl. “Stop crinkling your brow, Bat1.”

His eyes opened at that and settled on her with cool authority. “That still eating you Selina?”

She shook her head and shrugged. “No, I’m over it. He’s actually not so bad.”

Bruce held her tighter as the elevator slid to a halt outside the penthouse. He looked at her closely, “You a fan of Blake now, are you?” He wanted to gauge her response and was distracted by her actions around his eyes. He dropped her and pulled her hand away as he pressed her back against the stainless steel doors. “Answer me. What about Blake?”

Selina considered it and shrugged, “He as the guts for it...the heart for it. He needs training. He needs your influence.” A small smile tweaked her lips and Bruce honed in on it.

“You like him?” It was more an accusation than a question.

Selina arched her eyebrows, “You jealous, Mr. Wayne?” She searched his face and then settled her gaze on his green eyes. “Is it finally starting to bother you that you have a young  replacement waiting in the wings? “ Bruce’s eyes burned into her as he allowed her to slide away from him. Selina watched him carefully as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. “Does it concern you Bruce that there is a Bat 2? That someone is ready to step right into your spot?” She walked a slow circle behind him. “Are you starting to worry you might be as easily replaced in other areas?”

His arm shot out and Selina twisted quickly out of his grasp, her smile lighting the dark between them. Their motion activated the password prompt and the light keyboard projected against the wall behind Bruce. He watched Selina pace just outside his reach and he felt his need for her flood over him again. “You should know better than to taunt me, Selina. I am already at my limit with you.”

She stopped pacing and faced him squarely, the challenge in her eyes was evident.

When he moved it was with lightning speed and he never telegraphed his attack. Selina could only brace and absorb the impact. The cape flexed around them and she was trapped in the darkness with him. Her arms reflexively circled him as the cape forced her into his body. It both shielded her and imprisoned her as his lips punished hers and burned her coherent thoughts away.

The cape dropped and he whirled her around and pushed her firmly against the wall facing the password prompt. Her breath came in gasping pants and Bruce held her rigid in his unrelenting grip. A hand over her throat and one at her hip, kept her immobile as he waited for her to come back to herself. She blinked foggily at the display as the hand at her hip slipped in between her legs. She again cursed the suit as the pressure was too faint to bring the relief she needed. It was enough to have her arching against him as she responded to his touch. “I need you Bruce…Please.”

His voice was low in her ear, “I know you do. Just enter the code and I will give you what you want.”

Her eyes were shut and she tried to concentrate on remembering the code. _It was a long complicated one…fifteen digits… BW6788-something..._

His hand stopped pleasuring her and delivered a squeeze to her bottom. Her eyes sprang open and she tensed. The hand under her jaw constricted, cutting off her protest. His voice was in her ear slightly mincing now, “Pay attention, Selina.” He indicated the illuminated keypad, “Things have changed since you were here last.” His face was a mask of conflict. “Last time you were here you were running from me…you were hiding yourself from me.” The frustration radiated off him and Selina felt some of what it must have been like for him.

“I didn’t know if I would ever see you again…If I would ever have a chance to tell you…what you mean to me.” His nose was in her hair and his breath was warm on her neck as he pressed harder against her. “I wanted you to know…if you came back…I wanted you to know exactly how I felt...how I feel.” His voice nearly cracked and she was grateful she didn’t have to see the pain in his eyes as he spoke. “I wanted you to know the future you could have with me.”

She focused in on the command prompt. It was no longer the fifteen digit security code. It was one word six letters.

His hands slid up her side and down her throat settling together at the collar of her suit. He started pulling it apart and the suit obediently opened as the seals gave way under his firm pressure. It gaped open to the waist and his warm hand slid inside against the bare skin of her stomach. It slipped higher over the familiar material of the sports bra. Bruce clucked his tongue in disapproval, “I much preferred you earlier tonight...seeing your breasts under the thin silk. The effect of the cold air on them…”

Her voice was shaky, “I assure you, Bruce...that had nothing to do with the air temperature.” She pushed into his hand, urging him to touch her.

He smiled into her hair. “Is that a compliment for me, my dear?” He kissed her cheek as his hand slipped away. Selina held back a sound of disappointment.

A glint of steel caught her eye as her knife materialized in Bruce’s hand. He spun the blade and locked it out with a practiced ease. Her breath caught and she pressed herself tight against him as he brought the blade toward her. His voice was low and raspy, “Ms. Kyle...now _you_ don’t like knives?” Her laugh was cut short as she felt his nose nuzzle her ear and he whispered, “Don’t move Selina...not... one...muscle.”

She felt his teeth against the cup of her ear. The bite was a sensuous balance between pain and pleasure. Her eyelids fluttered and she felt herself clench in anticipation. _Damn if he couldn’t ride that line...the way he makes me feel._ She considered that for a moment _...He is so in control...he frees me to just to feel...to experience passion and love for the first time in my life. I can just let it go and know it will be alright...he gives that to me._

Her legs trembled and he bit down harder and commanded her again, “Don’t. Move.” The cold of the steel touched her stomach and she gasped as he pressed it firmly into her flesh. Her eyes flew open and her breath came in a struggled pant. _The handle..._ He had turned it and the handle’s cold steel was tracing up her body _._ It traveled over the fabric of her bra, between her breasts and up her throat, her eyes followed the blade as it appeared beside her face. She felt herself relax against him and the teeth on her ear released.

“That’s my girl.” He nuzzled the sensitive spot he had punished just seconds before. “You know I’m not going to hurt you. I’d never hurt you.” He kissed the pulsing artery on her neck relishing the control she allowed him. “Be still. Be so very still.” The blade dipped again and Selina heard the fabric tear as the blade sliced between her breasts. She kept her head pressed back firmly into the pocket of his neck and chest. He whirled the blade shut and it disappeared behind them. His hand reappeared and it slid into the newly accessible bra.

His warm hand brought welcome relief to her painfully engorged breasts. He ran his thumb over her nipples and she jerked against him arching into his grip as she buried her face desperately in the soft flesh of his throat. She shuddered under his hand grateful even for this small release of tension. “Let’s do this already,” he demanded, “Solve it Selina. You know the codes are the names of the most important people in my life.” His voice coached her, encouraged her to accept that she was now a part of this short list.

She strained and captured his lips with hers in a chaste kiss and his hands gripped her breasts firmly in his palms. “First name first this time. Hurry.” His voice choked out the words. “I need to be inside you. “

She returned her attention to the display and diligently populated the open slots. / S E L I N A / The computer beeped and the word “ACCEPTED” flashed and then a second prompt populated after her name. It said “LAST NAME: _?” Her brow crinkled as she focused in on the code line. _This is different...usually the second word locks it..._ She began typing her last name.  / K Y L _ _ / and then hesitated as she realized it didn’t fit in the space provided. She felt his hand tighten at her breast as the other slipped to her waist.

His voice was deadly calm in her ear. “Don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it, Selina. Don’t tell me it isn’t something that you want. I know I’m not alone in this. Now fill the damn thing out with your name.”

She swallowed down any protest she had and backed up the cursor. Focusing on the sound of his breathing, she typed: / W A Y N E /

The locks released and the door popped open. Bruce pressed her against him as he swung her into the empty penthouse and growled out, “Damn right.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

_v_

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_Edits by Cheed_

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_Footnotes:_

_Lyrics Crazy Train- Ozzy Osbourne_

_“A foot in two worlds “ Credit goes to Landscaper01\- it is from her review Loved it! Stole it! Used it!_

_-Slingblade._


	20. chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 

xxx

Selina was pressed firmly against him as he locked the door behind them. She didn’t even see the code that secured it. She was trying to turn into him but his grip was unrelenting. She felt him press her into the metal entryway and then she was standing on her own again.

His hands grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her against the door. She flexed involuntarily and her claws sprang free. The sound of them deploying startled her and fresh scrapes marked the door as the sharp blades scored against the smooth metal. She looked at Bruce in the reflective surface; his face was dark and dangerous as he stood behind her. Their eyes met and he noticed the mask she had created out of the black eye paint and he seemed oddly pleased by it. His lips parted in a predatory smile, as his grip tightened on her wrists. “You going to use your little claws on me kitten?”

She shook her head that she wouldn’t and felt herself shiver as he ground himself into her. His teeth found the nape of her neck and he closed them over her spine. The nerve endings sparked and she felt the numbing pressure. He ran his hands down her arms to her chest and she felt his hands dip into the suit again. He finished off her bra; the elastic band gave with a loud rip as he tore it apart.

He filled both of his hands with her breasts and she pressed her forehead against the cold metal as her body overheated in the suit. His hands rolled and kneaded the tender flesh. His thumbs tweaked her nipples between his fingers and she became slowly aware that she was moaning low in her throat, just a constant low sound of need as she shook uncontrollably. She fought back her response and forced her eyes open, he was watching her reaction with a smoldering intensity.

His eyes burned and his teeth held her, she moaned out another sound as he lifted her breasts and pressed harder into her. She felt the growl on her skin more than she heard the low rumble from his throat. Her eyes fluttered shut and her head dropped back as she relaxed her shoulders. He adjusted his mouth on her neck as she sagged into him. His soft hum of approval sent a shiver through her body. Her nerves were firing and sparking from the pressure on her spine. It was immobilizing her when all she wanted was to press into him and find relief.

She heard, rather than felt her hands sliding down the steel door as her arms dropped to her side. Metal against metal as the claws cut long grooves on their journey down. His hands left her breasts and she felt them lace her fingers. Her arms crossed in front of her powered by the man at her back. She watched unconcerned as the razor-sharp blades passed within inches of her aching breasts. They appeared in front of her face fisted in Bruce’s hands.

His breath was hot on her neck and the erotic pleasure was so strong that she felt the tingle flaring down her spine into her legs. He could have cut her to pieces with her own blades and she would have been powerless to stop him. He held her like that for a long moment, rolling her bladed fingers in his bare hands. Selina retracted the claws when she felt his fingers slide too close to the sharp edges.

His jaw relaxed as his hands fisted over hers and he pulled off her gloves. Her hands dropped to her side and his returned to her body, traveling slowly up her stomach and passing lightly over her breasts to her neck. She made another soft sound of need as his palms grazed her peaked nipples.

He settled a hand against her throat and she swallowed reflexively as her shoulders and back remained relaxed against him. He again mumbled his approval at her reaction. _Yes baby, just trust me._ He blinked his eyes slowly as he slid the suit off her shoulders. _Fuck she is so beautiful._ He peeled the armor off of her and was taken aback by the duality of her. The hard armor, dark and dangerous slipped aside to reveal the soft pale mounds of her breasts.

The male reaction to breasts was never understood by women. There were endless theories to explain it, Bruce mused it now himself as he exposed her chest. _The primal return to what nurtured us as children…the natural selection of a mate capable to nurse our young._ The thought slammed into Bruce’s mind as he watched the armored fabric fall to her waist. His eyes dropped to her muscled stomach and he pictured her round with a child. _..my child...breasts full and heavy... Jesus help me..._ His eyes slid shut and he groaned, suddenly that was all he could imagine. He released her and she pulled her arms free from the suit. She turned into him slowly and Bruce stood there looking at her in disbelief. _What is this…what are you doing to me?_

Selina cocked her head trying to read his mood as she slid free from her suit. Bruce watched her silently, white powder drifted off her as she slipped off the black leggings. She stood again before him, not caring that she was nude and he still remained clothed. She thought of the message on the panel and her eyes misted. He had loved her…wanted her…even when she had abandoned him. Not knowing why she ran, he had still loved her enough to try and give himself to her. Her hand lifted to his face and smoothed back his hair. His eyes slid shut and he pressed his cheek into her palm. He turned into it and pressed a kiss into her hand.

He remained still for a long moment just breathing in the scent of her skin before his eyes opened and she saw the burning glow return. “I am going to ask you to be my wife, Selina and when I do you had better give me the answer I deserve.”

Selina’s eyes widened and she reserved her response. _He wasn’t asking a question now he was issuing a warning. Message received loud and clear Bat1._

His stared hard at her and she heard the suit decompress. Bruce tossed aside the chest plate onto the mound of her suit and the armored back dropped away landing quietly in the pool of the cape. Selina’s hands found the bracer on his wrist and she unhooked it. He flicked it off his wrist and it clattered noisily across the floor. Selina followed it with her eyes finding it easier to look at it than the man before her. His eyes were flaming and his chest was rising and falling in quick shallow pants.

She repeated the removal on his right wrist and he slipped free from the metal’s protection. Selina slid the zipper down his chest and opened the dark base layer that separated him from the armor. He watched her as she worked to extract him. Her trembling fingers slipping between his hot skin and the confining material; the coolness of her touch had him pressing into her hands. He dropped his arms and allowed her to free him. Her eyes return to his and he felt a tug at his heart when she tilted her head and the familiar smirk played across her lips. Her hands rested on his belt, “You have something of mine, Mr. Wayne…”

Her hand appeared between them holding her black lace panties.

 _Sneaky little thief_. Bruce shook his head and tried not to admire the skill with which she had reclaimed her garment. She smiled and enjoyed her moment of triumph. It was short-lived as Bruce leaned into her hand and breathed in the scent of the fabric. Selina felt the flush rise in her cheeks as she watched him. _It was dirty, barbaric and unexpected...and it has me aching for him in an instant._

His eyes slid shut as he nuzzled his face into the black lace. His eyes were dark and dangerous when he opened them to her. “I should have taken you on the car.” His chest expanded and he shifted closer to her. “Next time I will.” His jaw flexed and she saw the shift in his shoulders as they tensed. “Or are you going to run from me again? Do you know what that did to me Selina?”

Selina watched him closely feeling the situation escalate into the red zone. _It’s been too long…too much had happened between us…too much pain and want and need. This wasn’t about our game in Applied Sciences; this was about the lonely nights, the fear. We are both too far gone..._ She lost her nerve, suddenly feeling vulnerable and exposed. Selina stepped reflexively away from him as he started toward her, her back drawing her rigid as she balanced lightly against the metal of the door.

His eyes sharpened and his breath caught as his body stilled. Bruce stared at her for several long seconds before his eyes softened and his shoulders relaxed. He lowered his head and took a deep calming breath as he ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair. His struggle for control was evident even in the low light of the room as his bicep flexed and she saw the corded muscle strum under his skin. His other hand unfastened his utility belt and discarded it carelessly to the side.

He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck as he blew out a ragged breath. Bruce slowly slid his eyes shut and focused. _Patience...she will come to you...learn from your mistakes...Don’t rush her_...

Bruce stood there head bowed as his eyes watched her bare feet on the tile floor. He just let his mind drift and relax. _Her toenails are the same burgundy that she had done the day of the flower market. They are chipped now and she’s in need of a pedicure. She had been running hell-bent through Gotham and had neglected everything about herself. She is thin, exhausted and afraid._

He held himself rock still and forced the tension from his muscles as he concentrated on that last thought. She was scared...she had backed away from him. He reminded himself of how close he had been to losing her for good the last time she ran scared. The faded paint from the tattoos still lingered on her skin. It was like a ghostly reminder of her escape. He felt his jaw tighten and he tried not to dwell on the thought. _She is here now and she is mine to take care of…don’t fuck it up Wayne._ He inhaled and blew out another breath as he felt himself center. He started making promises to himself...to her. _You will never know another hungry day or another cold night alone, Selina Kyle. You are standing in the room with one of the richest most powerful men in the world and I am going to spoil you within an inch of your life._ A small smile lifted his lips as he saw her step toward him.

Selina felt the tug low in her stomach as she looked at him. Her body was shaking in apprehension, but she moved toward him nevertheless. He lifted his hand to her, and she took another hesitant step. He shut his eyes and waited for her. She stepped into his embrace and he circled her waist with a muscled arm. His other arm slipped around her shoulders and he pulled her against his chest.

Bruce held her until her eyes lifted to meet his and then he slowly and with deliberate intent lowered down to his knees in front of her. He pressed a kiss on her stomach just below her belly button. His hands rested gently on her hips and he stayed like this as he reined himself in. He dropped his nosed into the apex of her thigh; the small stimulation against the little triangle of hair in her manicured bikini line brought a soft moan from them both. Bruce brushed his cheek over her sex, running his stubbled chin against her soft skin.

He waited until he felt the muscles in her back relax before he lifted his eyes to her waiting silently for her permission that would release him.

Selina slid her fingers through his hair and caressed his face. She felt him sigh into her skin and a hot tear slipped down her cheek. _My boy scout_...She marveled at him. _There has never been a man that had loved me like this... a man that would put himself second to me…one that would wait for me…protect me like you do._ She swallowed hard and the reality of what she had in him finally hit home. _He just shut himself down when he saw it was too much..._

She cupped his chin in her palm and his eyes met hers, there was a quiet peace she had never seen before in the cool green orbs. _Bruce Wayne... He is beautiful, powerful and he loves me... Love. This is what it feels like Selina._ She found her voice and she surrendered herself to him, “Bruce, I love you. “ Her voice was clear and strong because there was no need hiding what she felt for him...not anymore. _I am not hiding anymore_... "I'm in love with you, Bruce Wayne."

Bruce stood slowly, moving with deliberate care and caution. His arms slipped carefully around her and he pressed his face into the hollow of her neck. Selina curled her arms around his shoulders cradling his head against her. He forced himself to be gentle as he pulled her against him; his body was shaking from the effort it took. He bit back a low moan as her fingers stroked down his neck. Her voice was soft in his ear, “Make love to me Bruce.”

His breath caught and he paused before he lifted her up against him. “Anything…anything for you, Selina.” He walked her down the hall, supporting her against his body. Selina wrapped herself around his neck and he pressed a kiss against her wet cheek. “I’ve got you, kitten.” He soothed her as his hand rubbed gently up her back.  _Easy Bruce._..he reminded himself of the bruises she had sustained and the traces of fear he had seen on her face. _Take this slow and easy._ He repeated the mantra in his mind as he laid her gently on the bed.

He searched her face and found acceptance in her warm brown eyes. He propped on his elbow beside her and gently smoothed her hair as his other hand drifted over her. His lips brushed hers and he was careful to keep the contact feather light as he reacquainted her with his touch. He smiled as she turned her face into his wandering hand. He caressed her jaw with his thumb and she rested her hand gently over his. He was taken aback by the delicacy of her fine bones. He brushed his nose against her jaw and kissed the back of her hand as he replayed the night in his mind.

 _How does she do the things she does?_ Alfred’s words came to him, _“that little slip of a girl…”_ Bruce framed her face, his thumb under her chin, fingers splayed against her cheek. Looking at his heavy hand against her beautiful face he realized how dangerous the world was to her. _How easy was it for men to try and exploit their strength over you?_ _How guarded must you have been to survive the life you were born into?_ He felt the dark anger at the men that hurt her. _Bastards…all of them. Men that would hurt a child...a little girl…this woman…his Selina. Not again...never again._

“I am going to take care of you, Selina. I am going to take such great care of you. Love you like you deserve to be loved.” He smiled when she opened her eyes and he saw the trust she had for him shining there. “That’s what I want to see...I want you to look at me like that always, Selina.” He blinked his eyes and shook his head in bewildered disbelief, “I'm honored that you give yourself to me.” He paused and kissed her, “ I feel alive when I’m with you.”

Selina pulled him down to her and held him desperately to her. “Bruce. I never understood that it could be like this...that I could feel this way.” She struggled to come to grips with the emotion that was flooding through her.

He just nodded and held her, rocking her gently in his arms as he soothed her. “This is just the beginning Selina. I want to make you happy, give you everything.” Bruce let his hand find her breast and he filled his palm with the tender mound of flesh. “I need you to trust me Selina.”

He kissed her neck as his hands massaged the ache in her breast, “I do trust you, Bruce.” Her voice was shaky and her breath came in a thready whisper.

Bruce raised his head and looked at her, the pain and fear was gone from her eyes. “That’s my Selina.” He nuzzled against the warm mounds and sucked them into hard points. His tongue rubbed the pink nubs until she was arching against him raking her nails through his hair. He palmed the weight of one and kneaded it as he turned his attention to the other. She was more sensitive on the left and he wanted to spend some time there. He licked and blew his warm breath on the pink peak until Selina was writhing under him her hand gripping his hair as she tried to find relief. He sucked and pulled and then finally gave her what she wanted, his teeth grazing lightly over the sensitive tip.

“Bruce, I need you please.” Her voice was desperate and he nodded that he understood.

“Whatever you need, kitten.” He reluctantly left her breast and slid down and settled between her legs. He slipped his face again over her most private of areas relishing in the intimacy that she allowed him. “Me...just for me Selina.” He wasn’t sure if he was telling her or if he was asking her that it be only him that she allowed.

Either way, Selina acknowledged his need for reassurance, “Yes...just you, Bruce.”

He murmured against her skin, “Thank you,” as he nuzzled into her.

Selina heard him inhale and her eyes widened as she tried to process the primal kick that it gave her. Her fingers slipped into his hair as she held herself rigid. _Help me...he is going to touch me and I am going to fly apart._ _He has already made love to me so completely with his words that anything more is just overkill. What kind of man is this that I have finally found?_  Selina looked down at him and brushed back his hair, “Thank you Bruce...thank you for not giving up on me...on us.”

He nodded and hummed a response as he looked at her longingly, resting his cheek against her thigh he breathed her in again. The familiar scent of her brought a low rumble of contentment from deep in his chest. “I love the smell of you.” He scraped his cheek against her and she felt the warmth of his tongue and then it was his voice again, “But it’s the taste,” he licked again. It’s the taste of you, Selina that drives me crazy.”

He slid his tongue into her and she sighed. His pace quickened as he encouraged her legs apart, while he swirled his tongue against her. She felt the coiling of her desire immediately. _Mr. Wayne_ , your _verbal foreplay was well-played_. She was already done, Selina moaned and threaded her fingers in his hair even as she encouraged him to stop, “Bruce please...please make love to me. I want to come with you inside me.”

He looked up lazily as his tongue rolled against her, “I am making love to you.” He murmured the words against her sex and grazed her gently with his teeth. “You will be coming for me every way tonight, Selina.” He gave her a relaxed smile, “Don’t hold back waiting on me, kitten.” His eyes glittered with the humor at the nickname and Selina felt her chest squeeze as his warm tongue caressed her again. He sucked gently at the bundle of nerves hooded just above her entrance. He wanted her to come, she could tell. There was none of his familiar teasing tonight. If he had wanted to tease he would have had her squirming under him for relief already. There was none of that tonight, just the rhythmic stroking with his warm tongue edging her closer and closer to release.

Bruce wanted her opening to him, relaxing into him, satisfied by him, so he went to work. Her body told him everything. Every time they had found each other he had memorized her responses. He knew how to get her where he wanted her to be. He slowed his movement and focused on firm lingering up strokes, gently lifting the hood that sheltered the sensitive bundle. No part of her was allowed to hide from him tonight. His tongue coaxed her and he felt her legs relax and open wider. He smiled and mumbled his gratitude into her body. He felt the slow pulse in her right hamstring as the orgasm built. He sighed in contentment as he continued to administer to her needs. He knew he could slide a finger into her and she would come undone, but he was in no hurry. He just let her build and focused on her breathing and the trembling of that traitorous leg.

He saw her stomach contract as her body clenched and the orgasm overtook her. She called his name in a hoarse raspy breath as the muscles in her pelvis pulsed. Bruce was prepared for that too and held her hips steady as he continued undaunted with the same long strokes of his tongue. _Ride it out my love..._ He loved that he could keep it going for her. _If I just stay steady she could go and go. Fuck, it is spectacular to see her caught like that, laid open in ecstasy for me...just for me._

She was arched off the bed, her legs opening wider as he worked his mouth against her. She fisted her fingers in his hair as she came back to herself. She gazed down at him and panted out his name again. “Bruce...please.”

Bruce slid his finger against her and smiled as her body was so tight from her orgasm that he had to encourage her to relax. He kissed her on the inside of her thigh, “Let me in darling.” Selina dropped back on the pillow as his finger slid into her and began stroking her from the inside. He ran it along the front wall and she pulsed involuntarily as he found the sensitive area. Bruce nodded as his head rested against her thigh. “I love that spot Selina.” He chanced a glance at her and gave her a predatory grin; “I love taking you from behind so I can reach it with every stroke. Would you mind if I did that for you tonight?”

Selina looked at him and simply nodded, “Anything...anything you want Bruce. “

Bruce raised his eyebrows and gave her a slow shake of his head, “Don’t give me that much leeway Selina. I’m not _that_ trust worthy.” He dropped his head and swirled his tongue around her as his finger stroked. “I might just take you up on.... _anything_.” He kissed her reverently, “But, I am trying very hard to be a good boy...to be gentle with you.” He increased the pressure until he felt her vaginal walls tighten against his finger. “He slipped another finger inside her and licked again. “I want tonight to be about your pleasure, but I will take you up on that offer of _anything_ someday _very_ soon.”

Selina felt herself tighten involuntarily around his fingers. _Mr. Wayne, is that a threat or a promise? Either way, I'm sure you will not disappoint..._

Bruce smiled up at her, “Look at what just the thought of future possibilities are doing to you.” He dipped his mouth against her and ran his fingers in and out of her as he blew gently on her wet sex. “Imagine what will happen when we get around to actually doing ... _anything_... _everything..._ ”

Selina did imagine it and the result drew a low moan of desperation from her throat.

Bruce seemed pleased by her reaction, “It’s good that you want to experience it all, Selina. You deserve it...we deserve it.” Her eyes slid shut and she swallowed hard, her body trembled and he reminded himself of how difficult it was for her to relinquish her control to him. _I will make sure that she never regrets giving herself to me._ “I will take care of you Selina.” His eyes burned as he watched over her, “I want to satisfy you in _every way_.” He tilted his fingers and found that spot on her front wall as his teeth grazed the inside of her thigh, and she clenched again around his fingers.

 _Bruce fucking Wayne..._ dirty talking as he pleasured her. She could feel every betrayal of her body as he took control of her and pulled out everything he wanted. It was ridiculous he could undo her with just his words and the promise of debauchery to come. She gripped his shoulder and panted out a demand, “Bruce I need you. I want to feel you inside me...I want you. I want to make you feel good.. make you happy.”

He rolled his eyes open and looked at her with patient contentment on his face, “Baby you are,” _lick_ “making me,” _lick_ “deliriously,” _lick_ “happy. That’s how I want you, by the way...delirious.” He pressed his thumb over her and ran his nail gently across the engorged nerve bundle as he stroked his fingers quickly inside her. She gasped and he nipped the inside of her thigh. Selina felt herself arch off the bed and push into his hand hard as his thumb worked her. He bit her again closer to her sex and ran his nail across her one more time and she came again. The orgasm hit hard and unexpectedly. She shouted his name as it ripped through her and Bruce smiled in satisfaction. _Wake the neighbors baby...wake them all and make sure they know my name when we are done..._

He kept the movement of his fingers constant, feeling the warm lubrication from her orgasm as he worked her through to completion. He loosened his teeth and kissed her skin, soothing the bite as he slipped his hands free from her body. He kissed her regretfully before he stood. He pulled off his boots and rid himself of the armored leggings. A few seconds later without any additional fanfare, Bruce freed himself from his compression briefs.

He noticed Selina’s hungry eyes watching him and again marveled at the female body. _Two and she is still ready for more._ He stroked himself slowly and she looked up at his eyes realizing he had caught her leering. Selina flushed and averted her gaze. Bruce clucked his tongue. “None of that Selina.” I belong to you. You watch me if you want to.”

Her eyes searched his and she found no humor, jest or judgment. Her eyes traveled down to his hand that slid the length of himself. Even for his large hands, what he was holding was a handful. Engorged and ready, he was just waiting for her. Selina licked her lips and looked back up to him. Bruce was watching her watching him, his breath coming in calm, controlled pulls. He nodded to her that she should come to him.

Selina slid to the edge of the bed and stepped off to stand beside him; he continued to stroke himself as she watched the slow movements of his hand. His patience seemed endless; she shook her head, impressed at his calm control. Selina kissed him and tasted herself on his lips. She felt the familiar jolt below the waist at the carnal nature of the man that stood before her. He watched her as they parted and gave her a slow smile. “Delicious aren’t you?” He ran his tongue over his lip. He sighed and gave himself another firm pump as he looked down at her body.

Selina ran her thumb over his lips, “Thank you, for being patient. I’m so—”

He shook his head and kissed her again, “No,” he said firmly before she could apologize to him. “Nope, none of that either.” He kissed her neck and let his lips travel up to her jaw. “Are you ready for me now?”

Selina bit her lip and then nodded, “Yes.”

“Bend over for me baby?” It was a request…an invitation. Bruce smiled lightly as he looked down at her and guided her around to the padded chest. He patted it with his hand, “I would prefer you bent over that car in your sexy heels...but I’d rather not wait any longer.” He watched her climb on the chest and raise up on her knees before he positioned himself behind her.

She felt his hand on her shoulder and he stood there for a moment before his hands slid around to her breasts. She pressed back against him as he let one hand slide down between her legs while the other stimulated her chest. “Bruce,” She choked out his name. “Please. I don’t want you to wait anymore.”

He hushed her and slipped his knee between her thighs, encouraging her to spread herself further. “You are giving me everything I want right now.” He looked across the room in the mirror and he felt the kick in his stomach. Her reflection in the mirror, bliss…love...contentment…desire... A mix of some or all of those. Whatever it was, it was mesmerizing to see that look on Selina’s face. It was intoxicating. “I love you so much, Selina.” He confessed it again to her as he palmed her sex under his large hand.

Selina nodded that she understood that he did, before she dropped her head back against his shoulder. His hand found her throat and he gently stroked her delicate neck as he gazed down at her. “I love you Bruce. I should have told you sooner...” Her voice drifted off as he squeezed gently and silenced her.

“Stop...Selina.” He held her firmly against him and she felt him pushing gently through the moist folds of her sex, “You are so wet for me.” She heard the tremor in his voice as he whispered in her ear. “I have wanted this for so long Selina. I didn’t know if we would ever be together again...”

Her eyes slid open and she focused on his reflection in the mirror. He was looking at her, his face a mask of calm. “I never want to lose you again Selina. I need you to promise me...”

Selina nodded and pressed her back against his chest, “I promise Bruce. I’m not running. I want to be with you.”

Bruce looked pained and he gripped her tighter. “Selina, you are mine. All of you.” He slid his fingers possessively inside her, “No one but me will ever touch you again.” His nose brushed behind her ear and his teeth grazed her throat. “Promise me that.”

Selina swallowed hard and pressed back into him, “Yes. I promise. No one else. Only you.”

He slipped his hand between them and positioned himself against her, he held steady as he waited for her to relax. She looked at him with hooded eyes and her breath quickened. Bruce rubbed his hand down her back and Selina leaned forward bracing herself on the bed. Bruce slid his warm hand over her skin, reverently passing over the deep purple bruise covering her kidney. “I will be gentle,” He promised her. Bruce felt her relax under him and he pushed into her.

He waited a long moment as her body adjusted to him. Bruce steadied her against him and then he started to move with slow deep strokes. He shifted against her and she felt his hard length massaging that sensitive spot. Again the pressure built inside her and she resisted it, angling herself to give some relief. Bruce growled in disapproval. “No...no.” He pulled her tighter against him and adjusted himself quickening the thrusts into her.

Selina hissed out her breath as the weight of him filled her over and over. His hand found her breast again and he squeezed firmly. Her body felt like it was on fire. _Am I that damn easy? Am I? How can he just take me apart like this?_ The rational thought came back slowly after the dark sparkles cleared from her vision. She watched him in the mirror, his eyes coolly appraising her as he took her through another one. _Three and he isn’t even ruffled...doesn’t even act like he is close. God help me...he doesn’t even act like he is close._

_xxx_

She collapsed across his chest panting as Bruce held her, his hand fisted in her hair. She looked up at him and shook her head in disbelief.

Bruce had long since given up his sexy dialogue, trading the tantalizing torment of his words for panting and monosyllabic grunts and moans as they pleasured one another. Selina was wasted, wrung out and dripping with sweat. Should she have had the power she would have separated herself from him, allowed her body to cool from the strenuous exertion, but as it was she just splayed across him panting for breath.

Bruce was in similar, if not worse shape. His skin was hot and his eyes wild as he looked up at her. _Jesus how is he still hard? How the hell is he still going?_ Selina pushed off his chest and looked down at him, concern tinting her face. He shuddered as her fingers trailed down his chest. Bruce grabbed her hand and laced it in his fingers.

Selina looked closer at him and shifted. His hands went quickly to her hips and he held her still, “Easy.”

“Same to you darling.” She was spent, raw and hypersensitive in her post orgasmic bliss. Bruce on the other hand was locked in purgatory. She pressed her hand against his cheek and he rolled his eyes open to look at her. Exhaustion and desperation are what she saw in him. _Why? The answer was all too obvious, Bruce held out on himself while taking me to the physical limit...Damn boy scout..._ She shut her eyes for a moment as she tried to control her temper. _Frustrating Bruce...you are very damn frustrating._

Bruce locked his eyes on the ceiling and continued to pant; his hands remained on her, sliding from her hips down to rhythmically knead her muscled bottom. Selina shifted and he growled out his disapproval.

She realized then that he was hurting too, he had nothing left, he had given her everything. She lowered herself over him and he felt her breasts brush his chest. He flexed inside her and her eyes widened as he groaned and pushed into her again. Selina soothed him until he stilled beneath her, she ran a hand along his forehead brushing back the wet strands from his heated skin. He settled beneath her, his brows knit in frustration. Selina shook her head, equally frustrated at the man beneath her. She lowered her head down to his ear and whispered her question, “Why are you holding out on me Mr. Wayne?”

He arched an eyebrow and peeked under his semi-closed lids. “Just making sure my girl got taken care of.” He squeezed her ass gently and exhaled a breath.

Selina looked on with disapproval. She dropped a light kiss on his lips, “Your girl isn’t very happy right now.”

Bruce smirked at that and shook his head, “I doubt that is true.”

Selina shifted against him and narrowly avoided a hiss of pain, “How would you feel if I held out on you, Mr. Wayne?”

He slid open his eyes and watched her for a moment before he let his grip tighten on her. “I wouldn’t like it, Ms. Kyle.” He paused for a moment and his head tilted, “Speaking of things I don’t like...I don’t like hearing your name like that anymore.” He pushed up into her with a hard thrust. “I think Mrs. Wayne has a nice ring to it.”

Selina smirked down at him even as her body railed against further stimulation. _You have to do what is necessary sometimes._ Bruce was going to give her what she wanted. “No husband of mine would ever dare hold out on me.” Her smile turned devious and she clenched herself around him, “And it will take more than just a ‘ _nice_ ring’ to get me to be Mrs. Wayne.” She held up her left hand and wiggled the corresponding finger “So ‘til then...it’s Selina Kyle to you.”

Bruce came alive at that. He flipped her on her back and pressed hard into her. “If a ring is the only thing standing between me and my _Mrs. Wayne,_ you will have a _ring_ by the end of the day. It will be considerably more than just a ‘ _nice’_ one, Selina. It will have a diamond so big astronauts will see it from space.” He drove into her again and paused at her quick inhale.

She covered her pain as she gripped him hard with a hand on his neck and one on his buttock. “Yes, Bruce.” He felt her nails scratch into his flesh and he growled in approval. Listening to her words he found the key to his release, “Do it…Bruce. I want you now...Don’t hold back on me.” She spurred him on with her soft encouragement. Each word seemed forced out of her in rhythm with his heavy thrusts.

He felt his climax building. Bruce knew he was probably hurting her; he was hurting himself, but in his desperation he could not stop this final possession. He buried his face in her neck and choked out a curse of relief as he came, shuddering with the force of his body’s release. His hands gripped her hips and he held himself deep before giving into the desire to thrust through the last throws of his orgasm.

Bruce collapsed against her and Selina wrapped him up in her arms kissing him gently on the jaw. She stroked his back as he recovered himself. Bruce stayed like that for a long while listening to her voice. Her words of love and approval wrapped themselves around him as her fingers played through his hair. When he finally rolled to the side he brought her with him, she groaned as he pulled out of her and she dropped her head onto his chest exhausted. Bruce looked down at her and smiled in sympathy. He glanced at the clock and then his smile turned into a smirk. _They had been at it for hours..._

Selina laid with her ear pressed to his chest looking at him through foggy eyes. Her lips twisted into a smile and she couldn’t help but snort a laugh at his satisfied smirk, “You look like a man sitting in the catbird’s seat Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce smoothed her sweat soaked hair off her face, “I think that is an apt description, Selina.” He watched her eyes slide shut and he felt his breath catch. The soft ghost of a smile held as she drifted off. Bruce pulled a sheet over her and settled himself back into the pillows. He anticipated time to replay the events of the evening, but as he gazed back down at Selina he felt himself drifting and his hand stilled in the damp strands of her hair.

_x_

Bruce opened his eyes and saw the same beautiful brown eyes as Selina grinned down at him. His arm tightened around her and he kissed her cheek, “Good morning, my dear.”

Selina smiled and shook her head. “More like afternoon, Mr. Wayne. You having pleasant dreams were you?” Her amusement was evident as she beamed down at him.

Bruce sighed in contentment as his hand stroked down her back, “You have no idea, Selina.” He cracked an eye open and looked at her again as his arms tightened around her waist. “Why are you up?”

Selina shrugged and folded her palms over his chest and dropped her chin on them. “I woke up and…you looked so…happy that I just couldn’t help myself.” She blushed a little at the admission of having been watching him. She trailed her finger over his jaw, “You look like a little boy when you smile, Bruce Wayne.”

Bruce smiled again and ruffled his hand through her curly hair. “You give me a reason to smile, Selina.”

Selina propped up on her elbow watching her companion. “You are ridiculous sexy Bruce. You know that right?” It was enough to stop her heart looking at him like this, naked with a thin sheet pooled at his waist, muscled arm thrown over his head. It wasn’t fair that a man could wake up after a night like they had looking like he did. Hair tousled and sexy, shadow of a beard decorating his jaw, his eyes dark from the paint. _Not fair._

Bruce watched her and tried to stop his body from responding to that heated look of hers. He was still sore from that marathon session they had and he was pretty sure Selina would run if he even tried to touch her again anytime soon. He ground his jaw as he looked at her and gave himself every excuse not to get hard. “What are you doing to me Selina?” He shook his head and brushed his hand along her cheek. “You are so beautiful.” She rolled her eyes and made to drop back on the pillow, but Bruce pulled her back to his chest. “Take a compliment damn it.” He growled the demand as he coaxed her arms around him.

Selina settled herself into the crook of his neck, “Never try and compliment a woman that has bed-head and smeared mascara. Not to mention one covered in concrete dust and sporting an afterglow.”

Bruce snorted a laugh at the accumulation of defects she listed. He kissed her forehead and sighed, “You obviously don’t see the woman I see.” He smoothed her hair and then let his warm hand trail down to rub her shoulders. The light pressure brought out an appreciative hum from Selina. He kissed her again, “Feel good?”

She nodded and moved to give him better access to her shoulder. He flexed his hands and felt the knotted muscles under her skin. His strong hand worried with the knot until it relinquished its hold. She exhaled in contentment and patted his side. “Nice hands, Bruce.”

“Beautiful neck, Selina.” He countered the compliment and she squirmed away from him mumbling something about a shower. He held her firmly against him as the reality of their situation came back to him, “Selina. You were supposed to tell me something last night weren’t you?” 

Selina squirmed again and then settled under his chin. _Hiding from me again Selina?_ He tightened his arms around her and sighed, _At least I approve of your hiding place this time. This is as far as you are getting from me.._ He waited, staring at the ceiling as the silence stretched between them.

Her voice finally came soft and calm; “I don’t think it matters anymore, Bruce.”

Bruce didn’t react to that, he just kept stroking her shoulders. “Everything about you matters Selina.”

His response told her that he intended to get it out of her. She immediately felt the guilt start. She had told him it was important to her that he know, but after last night she wasn’t sure anymore. She looked at his chest rise and fall and she curled into him further. She didn’t want to lose him. She didn’t want what they had to be diminished by her emotional baggage. She took a deep breath and tried one last-ditch effort to derail the conversation, “I could tell you I napalmed an orphanage, Bruce, and you would find a way to sweep it under the rug. Anything I tell you about my past you will find a way to justify. So none of it matters. Not really...not anymore.”

She felt his arm move and his hand smoothed her cheek as the other continued its rhythmic stroking of her back. “It matters to me Selina. You matter to me. Anything that threatens what we have matters.” He tucked a stray strand of curly hair behind her ear and brushed his thumb along her cheek. “Anything that keeps you up nights matters.” He whispered that into her hair as he pressed a kiss into the curly waves. He hugged her gently, “Besides, I would love to hear your orphanage story. I’m sure it would include a fascinating extraction technique for removing the children before you took out the hostels with incendiary agents.”

His request elicited a humored snort from the woman at his side. Selina sat up and looked at him, pursing her lips as she considered his perception of her. “You give me too much credit Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce brushed his thumb over her lips and tilted his head as he considered her statement, “Somebody has to, Selina. You don’t give yourself any credit at all.”

Selina wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his neck. She shut her eyes and breathed him in, “I love you, Bruce Wayne.”

Bruce hugged her tighter and slipped his thigh over her leg as he settled her more securely against him. He felt her relax under him and a smile drifted over his face. “I love you Selina soon not-to-be-Kyle.” They both chuckled at that and he was grateful for her humor. “Now tell me what you have to tell me. I don’t want anything between us.”

Selina hesitated, not sure exactly where to begin. She thought about it for a moment and then decided the dream was as good a place as any to begin. “You remember on the flight...my nightmare?”

His arms tightened involuntarily around her and he whispered a soft, “Yes.”

“It is one that I have a lot...It was the last time—” Her voice trailed away for a moment before it returned stronger, more deliberate, almost mechanical as she gritted through the pain. “It was the last time. I swore it to myself while he was...” She shook her head and cleared the memory. “I promised myself it would never happen again. I ran that night and I stayed gone. Two years.”

Selina told him the story of living on the docks and he connected immediately their little game of hide and seek. He squeezed her to his side and muttered “No wonder you were so at home navigating that tangle of streets and alleys. I was chasing you through your own backyard.”

Selina raised up on her elbow and looked down at him and winked, “That’s one of the reasons I wanted Scarecrow so badly. Those people down there haven’t ever recovered from what the mob families did to them. The ports are closed, the buildings destroyed. It’s a ghost town, even after all these years.

Bruce stroked her back and guided her gently back to her story, “What happened after Mrs. Han passed?”

Selina looked at him for a moment taken aback by the gentle phrasing of the question. Her eyes pricked with tears as she realized that his sensitivity was likely born from the pain of his own tragedy. The little boy that lost his parents was suddenly very much the person that was hearing this story. Selina rubbed her hand over his as they comforted one another. “It all fell apart.” Selina confessed it to him sadly.

Bruce nodded that he understood. He listened as she described the months after. He was amazed at the resourcefulness of the young Selina Kyle as she told him about how she had sold off the restaurant supplies and fixtures. She shrugged it off when she saw the obvious admiration in his eyes.

“I knew everyone down on the docks, all of the people that were and weren’t connected to the families. I made sure and kept it all off their radar while I cleared it. Got fifteen thousand, cash.” She rolled over onto her back and faced the ceiling, “That was a lot of money for a girl like me.”

Bruce propped up beside her, watching her intently as she spoke, “The families eventually came around looking for their piece of the action. Falcone was first. They hit the place in the early evening. I wasn’t there and neither was anything else. The butcher shop on Grand had just picked up the Refers a few hours before. They took the glass display cabinets too. The owner’s wife collected thimbles.” Selina smiled at the memory. “She gave me one.” Her smile faded, “I don’t have it anymore. It was in my apartment.”

She looked over at Bruce and gave him a regretful shake of her head; “I should have put it in my bag I wasn’t thinking. I had taken it out one day to show Holly...” Her face fell further as she thought about Holly. She glanced around for her phone and then remembered it was in her suit. It had been nearly a month since she had heard from her. _Things in Gotham had been so crazy...Holly wasn’t the sharpest...she was so easily led astray...without me there to help her..._

Bruce misread her sadness and he smoothed the skin on her cheek, “You still have it, Selina. All of your things are safe.”

Selina came up on her elbow and faced him, her reaction impossible to read. “What do you mean? What did you do?” Bruce looked guiltily at her as he mumbled something about Fox before he silenced himself. Selina narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she assessed him, “Did you just run the bus over, Fox?”

Bruce ducked his head and gave her a sheepish smile. “They were looting in your neighborhood. Without you there to protect your place, I figured your things would be safer with—”

She cut him off, “You? Safer with you...really? Or was it more like...I was going to be with you, so my stuff might just as well be too?” Her eyes bore into him as she tried to decide how to take this particular invasion of her privacy. “Were you so sure that we would work out that you were ready to move me in with you? Or was that your little insurance policy that I would be tied to you regardless?”

Bruce met her eyes with complete confidence, “I was sure of how I felt about you, yes. And yes I wanted assurances that you would be with me. I still do.” He tapped her empty ring finger as an example of how serious he was.

He had her immediately on the defensive with that, but Selina regained her footing. “Then where is my stuff?” She looked around, “Not here and not at your penthouse.” She raised her hand in the air as she posed the question.

Bruce gave her a sour look, “I said that _I_ was sure of us. I didn’t say _Fox_ was onboard. Fox was more than happy to move you out of that area, but he had some difficulty in following _all_ of the directions he was given. Instead of moving it into my penthouse, he arranged for one of your own.” Bruce seemed very unhappy with giving her that information, like it could result in her immediately leaving him to go there.

Selina realized then how afraid Bruce was of losing her. Just the mention of an alternative to staying with him had him on the defensive. She slid her hand against his cheek and placed a cool kiss on his lips. “Will you show it to me later, Bruce?”

He nodded, still obviously displeased. Selina lifted his chin and looked at him with open adoration in her eyes. “Thank you Bruce, for thinking of me...for caring about me.” She fought back the embarrassment of her situation, “I didn’t have much, but some of the things are important to me.”

He brightened at that and Selina was instantly proud of herself for having reached out to him. She folded herself into his arms and smiled as he pulled her across him and deposited her on her back with him curled over her. “Finish telling me Selina. I want to know all of it so I can start ‘ _my justifications’_ and we can move past it.” He smiled at her soft chuckle of amusement, “Then I will take you to your things. You can show me what you want brought to the penthouse and the rest can stay there.” He looked at her closely, “The apartment will be there if you ever need it, Fox was insistent on that. But, Selina, you won’t ever need it. I don’t want you to sleep even one night there without me, understood?”

Selina smiled and chided him, “Control freak.”

Bruce considered that for a moment and then shook his head as he looked down at her. “No, I’m not.” He let his hands frame her face as he looked into her eyes. “Not with you.”

Selina shook her head, she hadn’t meant to shut him down, “Bruce, last night...I don’t know why...I panicked—”

She looked like she was going to apologize or cry or both and Bruce stopped her, the urgency in his voice and eyes halted her words. “Please Selina, do not apologize for telling me what you need. Dammit. I mean stop doing it.” He looked down at her and blew out a sigh, “I want you to tell me, Selina. I was too far gone last night to see for myself how it was affecting you. I needed you to control it…control me.” His intense gaze held her, “Like Monte Carlo.”

She shook her head, “But...Monte Carlo. You know that was...well that damn sure wasn’t me that was controlling what we did there, Bruce.” She stumbled over her words and finally faltered to a stop. She looked miserable at the fact they were discussing this at all. _Why the hell am I having such difficulty talking about this? Bruce was only too well aware of what we did and how much I liked it._

Bruce snorted a small laugh, as he shook his head, “I think I misled you in that situation as well, Selina.” His hair dropped over his forehead as he kept his head bowed.

Selina became immediately defensive and titled his head up to meet her eyes, “What do you mean?”

Bruce sighed and then gave her a shrug before he laid the truth out to them both, “Monte Carlo…in the hall...I told you then my control was gone...”

Selina’s brow furrowed as she pulled the memory, trying to recall the moment and finding some details blurred from the passion and Champagne and time that had passed.

Bruce nudged her, “Do you remember?”

Selina frowned, “Of course I do. Why?” She thought back to the shower his guilt over the bruises. _Is that what this is?_ “I told you, Bruce, there was nothing that happened that night that I didn’t want to happen, that I didn’t enjoy _and_ reciprocate in kind by the way.” She raised her eyebrows as she watched for his reaction.

Bruce nodded in agreement, but she had in fact just made his argument for him. “When I said my control was gone, Selina that wasn’t really the truth. You own that part of me.” He brushed her cheek, “In the hall, Selina, if you had said no, like you did tonight...then it would have _damn sure been no_. Because _you_ are the control. You have to be...” His voice faded as he looked down at her. _How do I say this to a woman like her?_

He tried again, “To allow yourself to do what we did that night, you have to trust me...we have to trust each other…completely.” He searched her face as he spoke. “That means you have to know that you can stop me if you need to...no matter how intense things get.” He watched as Selina processed what he said, “Believe me Selina, it would only be _you,_ that could ever stop me from _having you_. I trust you to not let me go too far. I never want you to be afraid of me.”

His eyes pierced her and she stared back at him silently considering what he had said. She had to wonder if he wasn’t just a little afraid too. Was he afraid that he would venture too far on the wild side and actually hurt her? _We_ _might just rip each other apart out of the desperate need we have for one another_. _That’s not an unrealistic concern to have when the two people like us get together… Or maybe he is afraid of waking that demon in me...triggering that fear response in me... He is afraid he will push me over that line and I will run._

Bruce broke down their dynamic, “You told me once that sex had never been this way for you before.” He raised his eyes to her and gritted out the words, “It’s because men took away your control, hurt you for their own selfish gratification.” There was anger boiling below the surface as he spoke about her past. He looked away from her and collected himself. When he spoke again it was in the soft measured tone of the billionaire Bruce Wayne. “You had to always be on guard. I doubt that you ever found a man you really trusted with this part of yourself...that you could turn yourself over to…be vulnerable to…until now.” He was unable to hide the pride in his voice, the satisfaction that it was him that got to experience this with her.

“When you are with me, you know you are safe, Selina. You can open yourself up to experience anything you want and know that I will not push you further than you are ready to go.” His look was smoldering, “But when you are ready to let go, Selina...you can let go with me. I want you to.”

She stared at him speechlessly as she tried to come to terms with what he was saying.

His lips lifted in a knowing smile, “Do you know how much damn control that is to have over a man, Selina? That I can want you the way I do…be so lost in my desire that I am more animal than man…and yet still be harnessed…governed by the limits you set?”

She ground her jaw as she realized she had to tell him _. I can’t continue to be victimized by the monsters in my past—that demon has done enough damage. I’ll be damned if I let it get in the way of what I have with Bruce. We both deserve better than that._ “I don’t want limits with you, Bruce. I don’t want anything between us anymore.”

xxxxxx

_xx Credit to Cheed for the edits xx_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 

 

Bruce watched Selina protectively as she walked down the pier. Her steps were long and confident and he wondered how much was bravado and how much was just the absolute steel nerve that he knew she possessed.

She never looked back at him, but now and again he saw her cock her head to listen, ensuring that he was trekking along behind her. He found it both endearing and infuriating that she had questioned if the walk from where they left the Lamborghini would bother his knee. The last thing a man like him wanted was to show weakness in front of his woman. He had again held back from telling her of his pending appointment in Switzerland. _One thing at a time Wayne._ He allowed his steps to land heavier reassuring her of his presence.

He had lent her a jacket and the dark brown leather shoulders relaxed visibly at the sound of his boots on the dock. She continued to stride along the desolate pier, the narrow walkway was clogged with trash and debris, but it was passable. The wind whipped off the water bringing in a chill, it was foreboding of another winter storm. It looked to be a white Christmas for Gotham this year.

He glanced up at her and noted that she was huddling deeper inside the jacket. It hung long on her, ending well below her shapely bottom. She had been lucky to find anything at all to wear, having pilfered a thick sweatshirt from his closet, she rescued her only pair of jeans from the hamper and ran them through the wash. Her old standby combat boots grudgingly got the call as her only shoe choice available. _We are stopping at that apartment of hers or a store before we go home. I am tired of her having to live like a vagabond._ He thought about the money in his pocket and decided a store would be better. _I am ready to start the spoiling process._

Another gust of wind blew up off the water and the chill had him dropping his hands into the pockets of his own leather jacket. He had been surprised that she was willing to bring him down here. She had done her damnedest to get out of telling him, but he had persisted. She finally gave in earlier at the penthouse and started talking to him about her life after escaping her father.

He bit back the anger that accompanied every reference to her abusive father. Father was a term to be used loosely when describing the monster that drove a terrified nine-year old out on the streets of Gotham. She had been reduced to sleeping in alleys and abandoned cars, crawling through garbage for food. The fact that she had felt safer in the company of the degenerates in the streets than at home with her own parent was a crime. That she had been left to starve and struggle with no one to care for her in a city of twelve million people was a travesty.

He looked ahead to Selina and watched as the brisk wind whipped her curly hair over her shoulder. He imagined her as a child walking along these same docks…scared and alone...homeless. It was a cruelty that he had fought against his entire life through his charity functions and donations to Gotham orphanages. It had been hard enough for him without his parents if he had to face things without the love and support of Alfred and the security that came with the Wayne trust…well his mind couldn’t even fathom it.

When she had spoken of Mrs. Han he had been both grateful and disappointed. The woman had worked Selina hard for the privilege of food and a thin pallet on the floor of her store. But he had heard no ill will in Selina’s voice, she spoke of Mrs. Han with respect, admiration and love. Selina seemed truly thankful for every moment that she had spent with the family. That was where she was taking him now. She was taking him to the only place that had ever been a home to her.

Selina paused at the end of the dock and Bruce brushed up beside her. Her chin was dropped into the throat of the jacket. She blinked up at him and he noticed the small droplets of moisture in her dark lashes. There was a mist falling and he wondered if it was that or the memories to blame. It had already been an emotional rollercoaster of a day.

_xx earlier that morning xx_

He had come into the kitchen showered and shaved, drawn by the comforting smells of coffee and the sound of a happily burbling teakettle. He was fastening the sleeve of his hunter green button down as he walked down the hall when it struck him how common a thing this should be for a man his age. Waking up to the woman he loved, sharing their morning routine together. He shouldn’t be so excited about it, but for Bruce this was an alien and exhilarating experience. For some reason he felt like this day was the beginning, the real beginning to something special. So what most men would consider common, Bruce intended to cherish. He had experienced the storm his entire life, now he just wanted the calm.

He looked around the kitchen and smiled at the mug and teacup that sat side by side on the counter. He glanced over at the coffee pot and saw that it was just beginning to brew. He ventured further into the kitchen and smelled the oatmeal that was cooked on the stove. He smiled and swallowed down some of the emotion that was constricting his throat. There was a container of cinnamon sitting beside the bowls and he knew that it was for him. Alfred had made it like that for him in Florence. He glanced around the kitchen and realized where she had gone, the door to the safe room was open.

Bruce forewent the coffee and walked quietly down the hall, his bare feet soundless on the floor, he found her sitting quietly in the room. He didn’t call to her; he just stood for a moment and watched her as she sat on the steel bench that lined the wall. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and her chin was tucked to her chest. He was struck by the similarity of the pose to when she was in Monte Carlo. She was sitting on the bench outside waiting on Sigmund...alone and afraid…drawing in on herself. It was Selina Kyle’s shelter position.

He walked calmly over to where she sat, her sketchbook was sitting close beside her. Bruce picked it up and sat down in its place. She didn’t acknowledge him, but her eyes watched him as he moved, eventually they settled on the book in his hands.

“I have hundreds of books like that filled with drawings. Looking back on things I guess it was like therapy.” Her voice had that mechanical beat to it again and Bruce found himself at odds with how difficult this was on her. _I am forcing her to give a voice to her pain. She had never talked about any of this to anyone and now I am demanding it from her. Trooper that she is, she is trying ...trying to gut it out for me._

“Selina, if you aren’t ready to tell me...” His voice fell away as she looked up at him. Her eyes were haunted and distant, she was locked deep in the grips of her memories.

She pressed her lips together in an unhappy line, “If you are going to wait until I am ready, Bruce...you’ll be waiting forever.”

Bruce slipped his arm around her and was relieved when her rigid shoulders relaxed and she leaned into him, “Forever happens to be exactly how long we have, Selina.”

That hit the mark. Selina took a deep breath and unfolded; Bruce’s arms became full of her as she climbed into his lap. He smiled in spite of the situation. _Yes to all of this. Yes to her finding shelter in me. Yes to her opening up about her past. Yes to her acceptance of forever. Just keep that word coming Selina…yes, yes, yes…I still have an important question to ask you and I will be needing to hear a ‘yes’ one more time..._ He held her with her bare legs dangling over his; she was clad only in his grey thermal pajama top. His hand slid up and down her arm as his lips pressed against her temple.

“Three weeks after Mrs. Han’s brother took the kids back to Korea, I saw my father again.” Her voice was soft, but the mechanical tone was gone. Now it was full of pain and quiet strength, “I had got out of school and found myself walking across town to my old house. I still don’t know why I went, but I saw him. It had been two years and I finally saw him again.”

He felt her hands gripping his shirt and Bruce linked his arms around her.

“He was walking up the steps of the apartment, he was carrying something. A woman was walking up behind him and he turned to say something to her and I realized...” Her voice was a hoarse whisper as she gritted through it, “He was holding a child, a little girl.”

Bruce felt the chill go through him, “Dear God, no.”

Selina pressed hard into him and was rewarded by his arms wrapping tighter around her, gathering her close to him, “She was small, probably five or six…curly blonde hair…”

The whistle of the kettle sounded from the other room and Selina seemed more than relieved for the excuse to stop her recount of the event. She extracted herself from his arms and ran a hand through her hair as she stood. She glanced down at Bruce and he looked up at her, their eyes locked as the pain of her past threatened to overwhelm them both. Selina walked to the door and paused for a second. She didn’t face him as she spoke, “It’s strange... now that I try to remember that little girls face…all I can see is…Meghan.”

 _No...Selina...no._ Bruce pressed his fingers to his eyes and tried to collect himself. He remembered only too clearly the night Selina told him about finding her...naked and bloodied...He growled out a sound of frustration and pain as he thought of Meghan and Gordon now. _Little Meghan holding her arms open to me, trusting me to hold her while she slept...her soft voice telling Gordon that she loved him._ Bruce leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands he ran his fingers through his hair. “Oh my God this world...it’s too much sometimes.”

The images of Meghan kept flashing through his mind, her crystal blue eyes, and the crinkles on the side of her nose when she grinned. Bruce rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clenched into fists as he tried to control his emotions. His eyes dropped down to the sketchpad that was lying beside him. He gathered up the book and clutched it in his hand as his thoughts jumped from Meghan to Selina to the little blonde girl that had surely been doomed to their same hell. He questioned then if he was really ready to hear the rest of this story. _I don’t know if I can handle this…as a man I just don’t know if I can._

He tried to focus on something else, anything else. He looked hard at the cover of the sketchpad and forced the memory into his mind. _I found this the day I returned to Gotham. I hadn’t been ready for that either. I had taken one look inside the book and knew that I couldn’t go any farther into it. The pain was too much. Not having Selina...thinking that it was her goodbye, it was just...too much._ He still didn’t feel like he could look in it, not yet. He clenched the book tightly in his hands and something drifted out of the pages onto the floor. Bruce bent down and retrieved it. He examined it and finally realized what it was, a dried flower petal. The color was faded, but it was still a recognizable blue. His jaw worked as he let the book crack open, his fingers found the gap and he opened it to that page.

Selina’s blue dahlia lay pressed between the sheets. He saw the drawing behind it, the Cours Seleya flower market. He stared down at it and it all came crushing in on him. His throat worked and his jaw flexed as he looked at the dried flower. _How close…how close had I been to never getting her back? How much is her past still endangering what we have?_ Suddenly he was torn, he wanted to know, but he didn’t know if he could hear anymore of the atrocities. _What if it changes things between us? Changes how we see each other...she was worried that it might._ He felt his stomach twist as the gravity of her situation threatened to overwhelm him. _What if this keeps her from me? T_ he desperation was crawling over him and he was struggling to stop it. _How can I combat it if I don’t know...if I don’t understand...I need to know._

His mind reeled as he tried to come to grips with all of it. He thought of her sitting in this very penthouse locked up with the memories of Meghan...fresh off the horror of that day, Selina had sat alone in the bathroom…watching the tub fill as she battled with the images. Bruce had willed himself strength then...strength to be man enough to face the ordeal with her. _She needed me...she opened up to me...shared that pain with me...It brought us closer._ Bruce shut his eyes and took a breath. _I love her and I want to know her past because I don’t want her to be the only one to carry that burden._

He dropped his head back against the metal wall and shut his eyes. He remembered laying himself open to her, telling her everything about his parents, Batman, Rachel...the Joker...his eyes snapped open and he stood up _. She took all that from me...not knowing who the hell I was, she took all that pain from me and she has helped me carry it...deal with it ever since._

Her voice reached him from the other room. “Bruce, coffee is ready.”

Bruce tucked the sketchpad under his arm and walked across the room, he paused at one of the duffel bags and reached in, helping himself to a stack of hundreds. He slapped the banded bills into the open palm of his hand and took another deep breath as walked out and the door of the safe room shut behind him.

X

Selina had poured him a cup of coffee and was in the process of making her tea. He noted with interest that she was using lemon juice now. _Alfred is rubbing off on her._

She glanced up at him and gave him a knowing smile, “When an English gentleman suggests how to drink your tea it usually behooves one to listen.”

Bruce snorted a laugh as he sipped his own beverage. He raised a brow, “Very good coffee Selina,” He praised her gently.

Selina nodded and gave him a smile, “Alfred told me how you like your coffee too.”

Bruce sipped it again and smiled, “Tell me Selina, how do I like my coffee?”

“You like it like Alfred makes it.” Selina shrugged, “If I tell you any more details than that, it might jeopardize his job security.” Her eyes danced and her teasing tone squeezed at his heart.

Bruce smiled at her, imagining the two of them collaborating over his coffee preferences. It touched him in a tender way he had not anticipated, “I am a lucky man to have two such people as you and Alfred in my life.”

Selina smiled as she sipped her tea, “You _are_ very lucky to have him, Bruce.” Her eyes glistened as she set her cup down on the counter, “I love seeing you two together. It shows me what it might be like to have a father.”

Bruce shut his eyes and ran his hand through his hair again, “Selina, I can tell you that you are quickly becoming family to him.” Bruce looked down at his cup and shook his head a small smile played across his lips.

Selina looked at him and quirked an eyebrow, “What are you thinking?”

Bruce cocked his head and gave her a side-glance as he exhaled a breath. He lifted his cup to his lips and muttered, “I’m thinking that I will have to ask Alfred his permission to marry you, Selina.” He shook his head again and laughed, “He is one of _three_ men that I am feeling an obligation to consult in pursuit of your hand.”

That brought a chuckle from her as she pictured Bruce Wayne, hat in hand, making his rounds to Alfred, Lucius and Jim Gordon. She grinned devilishly, “You better not ever step out of line, those are some powerful people to answer to.”

Bruce sipped his coffee, “Good thing you will be there to make sure I’m always walking the straight and narrow.”

Selina laughed aloud at that concept. _Me keeping the Boy Scout in line...indeed, what has the world come to?_ “How ‘bout we eat and I take you on a trip down to the docks?”

Xxxx

Selina hooked her arm through his and led him down the crumbling sidewalk past the boarded up buildings. She identified several, telling him about the families that had owned them and how they fell to the crime lords. She paused at the corner and smiled up at a large brick building, it was obviously an old firehouse. Of all the structures it had fared the best. Its walls were still strong and sound, but the glass doors had long since been boarded and sealed.

“Firehouse Seven,” She looked fondly at the old building, “The guys in that company were so great. They came in nearly every day for lunch. Mrs. Han never charged them, but they always left enough to cover the food and some extra. The lieutenant was this burly hulk of a man. He was growly and demanding to the guys, but he was always so nice to me.” She blushed a little as she confessed a secret, “He had the kindest eyes I had ever seen.” She looked at Bruce as if she was assessing him for the first time and she smiled, “Until you.”

Bruce acknowledged the compliment with a small twitch of his lips and he let his hand slip out of his pocket and capture hers. He squeezed it gently and pulled her cold hand into the warmth of his pocket as he gave her a knowing look, “And there began your fascination with Gotham’s public servants.”

Selina blushed again and smiled up at the building, “Lucky for you...he laid the ground work for my hero fetish.”

Selina encouraged him to turn and they leaned up against the old wood pylons that separated the walk from the canal below. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and slid them into hers, lacing their fingers together. He followed her eyes to the small shop. The entire front of the store had been glass and was now covered by warped, weathered plywood. He could just make out the faded red on a sign above the roofline. It was oriental characters, “What does it say?” He asked softly.

Selina smiled up at him over her shoulder, “Little Korea.” She looked back at the store, “I painted that sign.”

Bruce heard the small hint of pride in her voice and his hand tightened on hers, “You are remarkable woman, Selina.”

Selina gripped his hand tightly, her eyes intent on the sign, “I killed him, Bruce.”

The words hung between them for a long time. He shook his head, “I know the story Selina. You didn’t kill him. Adriano—”

Selina interrupted him, “I killed him, Bruce. Just as sure as if I had beaten him to death myself.”

Bruce forced himself to speak. “Tell me, Selina. Finish this and tell me what happened, stop letting this eat away at you and just get it out. “

Selina nodded and her gaze tracked back over to the restaurant.

“Falcone had been sniffing around asking questions about what happened to the Hans. Asking about the stuff disappearing from the store.” She leaned back against him as she spoke and again Bruce was grateful that she was seeking him out. _It would have been easy for her to collapse in on herself…shut me out._

“Carpanzano and Falcone were both working protection rackets on the docks, a turf war was building between the families.” Bruce let his head drop over her shoulder and rest against her cheek as he stared at the little shop listening to her speak.

“I was liquidating everything in store as quickly as I could. Someone must have finally got wind of it because Falcone’s guys busted in the place. They almost got me unloading the refrigerator units to the butcher shop. It would have been bad for the Kraut and I both if we had gotten caught.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked down the dock, “You can almost see his place from here. An old German immigrant and his wife ran it. They had a meat shop in the back and a German restaurant in the front, Hildegard’s. You could get fresh brotchen and authentic German mustard. It was awesome.” She smiled over her shoulder at him, “This dock was a collection of cultures like I have never seen the like of since. So many first generation immigrants that found a way to make it...until Falcone and Carpanzano squeezed them out of business.”

Her face darkened and she looked back at the small store that had been her home. “The collectors came around more and more after that. They almost got me a couple of times, but once I made it out into the open they didn’t have a chance in hell of catching me.”

Bruce smiled into her cheek. _Even then my little Selina was a handful...smart and resourceful._

Her jaw clenched as she tried to find her next words, when she spoke Bruce heard the raw emotion in her voice; “ I remember laying there under the counter in the corner, listening for them, knowing they would be coming to get me. I tried to tell myself to run, to get the hell out of there, that there was nothing left worth staying for. But I couldn’t make myself leave. It was the first place that I had ever felt safe. I didn’t want to lose the memories of them,” Selina squirmed at the admission, “I was still trying to hold onto it. I knew it was just a matter of time before my luck would run out. Then the strangest thing happened, I stopped being scared and I started getting angry.”

Bruce pressed his lips together and tried to ready himself for what was to come.

Selina’s voice was stronger now…colder, “I realized _I shouldn’t have to run_ from those bastards. They were the problem…not me. They shouldn’t have been able to force me out of my home. They shouldn’t have been able to get away with hurting people the way they did... doing what they did to the people down at the marina…to Mrs. Han...to me.”

Her eyes fogged as she lost herself in the bitter memories, “After I saw my father that day…with that little girl…my mind just wouldn’t let it go. How those pieces of shit could do what they were doing...getting away with it all. It was like the cops were blind to everything.” Her voice was strained and the words came quicker now, “I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing Mrs. Han…her children…my father with that little girl…It was eating me alive.”

Bruce listened as he pictured her huddled into herself lying on the floor of the room, the fear and loneliness she must have felt tore at him. He wrapped her so tightly that he was surprised she could even breathe, but she didn’t complain, she just let him envelop her and accepted the refuge in his arms. Her voice stalled and Bruce realized she was bogging down in the emotions of the past. “What did you do with dangerous animals like that hunting you, Selina?”

Her shoulders sagged with the weight of the admission, “The only thing I could do. I turned them on each other.”

He listened as she told him about allowing Carpanzano’s men to catch her. She had intentionally kept a stack of the money on her and she told them that Falcone had been behind the liquidation of the store. “They thought they scared me into talking. I was plenty scared, but I used it...used the fear to play them. They roughed me up and I held out for a while until I felt it starting to turn serious and then I gave him up. I gave up my dear old dad as the Falcone connection.”

Bruce braced her against him and just held her as she continued, “I told them about the money and that Falcone was using him to horn in on their territory at the docks. I had seen and heard enough about what was going on in the Marina to really sell my story too. I knew exactly the businesses Falcone was working. The auto shop on the corner and the bakery were getting stood on heavy by Falcone, so heavy they hadn’t been able to get straight with Carpanzano for months.” Selina smiled with sad pride, “I told him that Falcone was on top of him, that the businesses weren’t paying him anymore because Falcone was protecting them. I told him that my father was the collector. Then I told him where he hid the money.” Her lips curled into a brittle smile and she took a deep breath, “It was flawless.”

He heard her throat click as she swallowed, “I had skipped school the day before and broke into my old apartment. I planted everything I needed to make it look like he was working for Falcone. That was the real masterpiece in all of this...what I did there.” She took a slip of bills from Bruce’s pocket and gave him a wink when he realized he had been picked-pocketed. Her hands folded the currency long ways and then she rolled it in her palms. “When Mrs. Han or I would pay the Falcon protection money his collectors would take the bills and roll them like this.” She gave him back the stack of cash, “Then they would rubber band it with a scrap of paper or business card from the store stuck around the outside. So that’s what I did. I made one from Mrs. Han, the bakery and the auto shop and I hid them in his dresser drawer.”

Selina pulled at him and they were walking again, past the small store. Her eyes swept over the familiar wood framing, the white paint was worn and cracked, peeling off onto the equally weathered dock. Her boots stepped over the random trash and lumber that littered the walkway. Bruce followed her down to the end of the pier. The dock had collapsed here and the wreckage of the boat slips was just visible below the water line.

Selina stood at the end of the pier and Bruce stood beside her, his arm brushed hers and Selina smiled at the small gesture of support. _Bruce Wayne…who would have known that cracking his safe would have led to all of this?_ She let her eyes trail up his leather-clad arm to his broad shoulders and then to his face. _He was beautiful...an Adonis. Truly if there had ever been a more aesthetically handsome man to walk the earth I would have to demand to see proof. And if there had ever existed a man more focused in his pursuits and in his convictions I would have to see proof of him as well._

Selina realized she had been staring at him when he touched her hand and she came back to herself. She mumbled an apology, but Bruce just shook his head, “Selina you can look at me like that anytime you want.” His eyes were bright and his skin was flushed.

Selina regained her composure, “Look at you like what?”

Bruce’s lip twitched, “Like a woman in love.” He cleared his throat from the emotion that clogged it and looked at her with a longing she understood only too completely.

He saw her lip tremble before she pressed them hard together. When she regained herself she continued, “I only wish I was the woman you believe me to be, Bruce. I wish I could tell you I had remorse over this...that I would do it differently if I could. But that would be a lie. I am not going to lie to you, Bruce.”

Selina turned out to face the water, “They brought him here, into the marina office,” she pointed out to the water; part of the structure was still visible. “His hands were tied behind his back and there was a burlap bag over his head.” Selina hesitated, her head cocking to the side ever so slightly as her mind worked, “I think that’s why I froze up when I first saw Scarecrow last night...the burlap mask...it was like seeing a ghost from my past.”

Her voice cracked and Bruce knew she was struggling, her back was rigid and she stood stock-still. _Patience Bruce...space, give her space._.. He willed himself to stay still and just listen to her voice.

“I had told Carpanzano that he still had the money from the store, that he was holding out on Falcone. Fifteen thousand was a lot of cash; they must have turned over his apartment looking for it.” She jammed her hands into the pockets of the jacket, focusing on the water that lapped around the exposed remains of the office. “They didn’t find it of course, but they found the ‘protection money’ I planted...and they found something else...something even more damming...”

Her mind replayed the scene. _The old white shoebox being passed to Adriano. He opened it and I felt his eyes on me. The other men just looked away, looked anywhere but at me._ Selina swallowed thickly and forced her voice to come. “Carpanzano told them to cut me loose. They opened the door and I walked away.”

Bruce stood behind her and his voice was just a whisper as he asked, “What did they find Selina?”

Selina felt her eyes brim but the tears didn’t fall. “A box...photos...of me.”

Bruce felt his stomach roll and his mouth went dry. He nearly died at her next words.

“I hope they were _just_ of me. That I got to him before he could do the same to that little girl.” Then the tears fell and he saw her shoulders shaking. He turned her gently into him and she accepted his comfort, crying silently into his chest.

His mind reeled as he tried to comprehend what had happened. Carpanzano had tortured Brian Kyle to death in that shack over the water. The police had found the body much as Selina had described, bound and gagged. Bruce now understood the brutality of the scene. _The photos...Carpanzano was a mobster and criminal, but he was also a Catholic and a father of six, four of them girls. I wonder when he looked into that box...when he saw the evidence of Selina’s lost innocence...had he seen his own children in her? How much of what happened to her father that day was about money...or territory? How much was about retribution?_

The image of Meghan slammed into Bruce’s mind. He forced the rising bile down with a swallow. _Meghan had a guardian angel that had saved her. There had been no one there to save Selina Kyle. She had suffered until she had finally summoned the courage to save herself. She had run...escaped the hell that had been her childhood._

Bruce held her against him, the wind blew her hair across his face and he shut his eyes and lost himself in her pain _. She had returned to that hell to save a little girl whose name she didn’t know, from a fate that she knew all too well. She had saved every child he might have harmed in the future by stopping him permanently._ Bruce cradled her against him and soothed her as she struggled to get on top of her emotions. He rocked her gently until her hitching breath alarmed him enough that he had to calm her, “Hush now. Take a deep breath, Selina. Now I have you, but you need to breathe.” He smoothed his palm along her wet cheek.

Selina leaned heavily into his hand and took a shaky breath, “Selina you are alright. You are safe with me. I understand...I understand.” His words were even and soft, “You did what you had to do baby. You did what you had to do to save that little girl.” He realized he was doing exactly what she had told him he would do, justifying her actions. _By damn she was justified...she was just a child._ He gave voice to that truth, “You were just a child yourself, Selina. None of this was your fault.”

His words brought a pained laugh from her, “I wasn’t a child Bruce. My childhood was gone long before that day on the docks.”

He held her up against him as she buried her face in his neck, “You _were_ just a child Selina, left alone in a world of monsters. You will never face another one alone. Do you hear me Selina?” His voice was insistent that she acknowledge that truth, “Tell me you will let me be there for you, Selina. That you know you aren’t alone anymore.”

Selina gripped him tightly, fisting the lapels of his jacket in her hands. “Bruce, I know I shouldn’t have done it…” She swallowed hard and looked up at him her eyes shining, “I never cared about it before you…never felt guilt over it.” Her eyes were wide and her breath was coming in quick pants, “I gave them both what they deserved. I called the police on Carpanzano, they caught him and his boys red-handed, gave them life for the murder. They deserved it…not for my father...but for what he did to Mrs. Han...he killed her and he deserved to pay for that. “

She looked at him the pain obvious in her eyes. “I still believe that Bruce, the truth of it is...I wouldn’t change what I did.” Her eyes locked on his, “The same goes for Bane.”

 _Bane..._ The name landed hard on his ears and Bruce flinched involuntarily.

“Knowing how you felt about killing, Bruce...I still shot him...and I would do it again...in a heartbeat.” Her brown eyes held his and she repeated it like a promise, “To save you Bruce, I would shoot that bastard again without any hesitation at all.” Selina held herself away from him. “I know what that makes me. I will never be who you want me to be. I am so sorry, Bruce. It kills me to admit it.” She looked at him longingly, “I wanted this...us.”

Bruce felt the panic dusting up inside him, he let his arms circle her and pull her into his chest. Her face was cold and her body was trembling, “Selina, I wish things had been different for you, that you had been able to reach out and get help, that you hadn’t felt so alone that you had to deal with things the way you did. But what happened, happened and there is no changing that.” He held her tight, “Things are different now. You have people that love you and care for you. I want that to matter enough that you will try... _try_ and make different decisions...that you will _try_ to trust the system to find justice.”

Selina listened to him and was grateful that he hadn’t just swept it all under the rug. It would have been a lie if he had pretended that he agreed with her actions. She knew it was something that he never would have done himself. _The Batman would have never taken justice into his own hands and turned himself into the judge and jury._

He looked down into her face and cupped her chin, “You are who you are, Selina. I know you are never going to be able to play totally by my rules. Hell, if you had I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” His jaw flexed as he thought of Bane, “He would have killed me, Selina. Gotham…you…everything would have been destroyed.” He spoke as if it had just occurred to him that all would have been lost with his death.

He shut his eyes for a moment, “You did what you had to do then, Selina, just as you always have, but you are different now too. When you found Meghan, you could have killed Jassop. Put a bullet in his brain, but you didn’t. You made the right choice.” _She had surely taken her pound of flesh...but she hadn’t killed him. She hadn’t pulled the trigger…because it didn’t need pulling...not then… Jassop was going back to prison. Gordon was coming for him…she had trusted Gordon to take him off the street. She had trusted the system for once in her life. She had trusted Jim Gordon._

He looked at her and the urgency that she understand him was clear on his face and in his eyes. “I want you. Not for who you think I _want_ you to be, but for who you _are,_ Selina. And yes, I want you to work within my parameters, because then I can justify what we do. Batman does what needs to be done...what others cannot do for themselves. He works outside the hard lines of the law, but I still have to have rules...limits or I risk becoming the very monster I’ve vowed to protect Gotham against.”

Selina nodded that she understood. His hand stroked her cheek, “Selina, when it comes down to the wire...we both know that _you will do what you have to do._ ” His eyes met hers and he realized they had come to an understanding. She would play nice, until nice didn’t play anymore. Then she would do what had to be done.

She looked into his eyes and blinked away the tears, “I can live with those limits, Bruce.”

He nodded and gripped her tightly in his arms, “So can I.” His mouth pressed against hers and she felt him lift her off the ground, she wrapped her arms over his shoulders as he kissed her. She felt some of their desperation fade and a smoldering passion quickly took its place. He finally broke away and he whispered in her ear, “I want you to go away with me, Selina.”

Her eyes blinked open and she stared up at the grey sky of Gotham answering him without hesitation, “Yes”.

Bruce chuckled and she found herself smiling, “You don’t even know where we are going.”

Selina sighed, “It doesn’t matter. I’d follow you through the gates of hell, Bruce.”

Bruce kissed her cheek, “Not hell, Selina. They don’t take our kind there, remember? We are going to Switzerland.”

x

x

x

Edits by Cheed


	22. Chapter 22

 

_xxx_

Gordon pulled into the curved entry of Bruce Wayne’s west side penthouse. He had been driven on the last occasion so he wasn’t entirely familiar with the procedures on his own. He rolled down the window and an elderly attendant paused with his hand on the door handle. “Commissioner Gordon, may I presume you are here to take audience with Mr. Wayne?”

Gordon balked at the familiarity at which he was addressed, “Um, yes I am in fact. Is Mr. Wayne in?”

The doorman looked down at him with something akin to horror as if he would be aware of the comings and goings of Mr. Wayne or worse yet that he would be willing to share if he was. “I would not be in the know on that sir. I do however have you on the authorization list so you may take the guest elevator. It will ring the suite so that you may announce yourself.” He bent further and looked through back glass, holding his hat steady on his head with a gloved hand, “Will the little one require any assistance?”

Meghan looked sadly up at the man from her car seat and dropped her head back onto the cushioned headrest. Gordon declined the offer, electing instead to unfasten the seat restraint himself. Meghan immediately freed herself, shoving the cushioned pad over her head and then climbed determinedly between the front seats. She didn’t stop until she was in Gordon’s arms and her head was resting on his shoulder.

Gordon was dressed casually in beige Dockers and a black north face jacket and he rethought his casual dress as the impeccably groomed doorman swept open his door with a flourish of gleaming brass buttons and dancing tassels. Meghan reached for the gold whistle hanging from the man’s shoulder and Gordon had to intercept her before she was able to fingerprint the polished surface. Meghan sank back into his chest, losing herself in the heavy folds of her pink winter jacket. It had been a battle to get any cooperation at all from Meghan today and Gordon was relieved when she collapsed without further struggle. It had been one event after another with her and he was fast reaching wits end with what to do with her. Just changing her from her flannel PJ’s into a pair of snap jeans and purple sweater had left them both at odds with one another.

He gave the keys to the department issued black Chevy Impala to a young valet and the older doorman assured him that no ticket was needed. “You are a guest of Mr. Wayne.” The doorman offered his association with Wayne as if that was all the explanation necessary. _I suppose it is at that,_ Gordon muse _d. A man that owns half the real estate in Gotham probably does command a bit more personal service._ Gordon found that he wasn’t jealous of Bruce Wayne’s wealth, in truth the extravagant life style wasn’t overly appealing to him. _I suppose Wayne doesn’t really care that much for it either seeing that he runs the streets at night with the police and criminals, same as me...Wayne’s wealth seemed more of a means to an end._

Gordon thanked the doorman who had walked him personally to the elevator and showed him how to activate the intercom between the car and the penthouse suite. Gordon reached for his wallet to tip the man and he was stopped immediately, “Quite unnecessary, I assure you Commissioner.” The dapper gentleman paused for a moment before removing a spotless white glove from his right hand, snapping it briskly across the sleeve of his dark navy uniform. “If I may take the liberty,” he extended his hand to Gordon, “Thank you, Commissioner. What you did for Gotham...it won’t soon be forgotten.”

Gordon hesitated for a second and then took the offered hand, “I appreciate the kind words, thank you.” It occurred to Gordon than Bruce never had that experience. Bruce was never able to feel the gratitude of the citizens for what he had done for them. _Maybe he doesn’t need it. Maybe just being the Bat is enough for him._

The doors shut and the classical music playing in the car dropped several decibels as Alfred Pennyworth’s voice sounded in the car, “Commissioner Gordon and Miss Meghan, how delightful to see you both again.”

Gordon shifted a bit uncomfortably at the personalized greeting until he realized there was a camera next to the display screen. Alfred’s face was displayed and Meghan lifted her head slightly and waved.

Alfred returned the gesture with a lift of his own hand, but his smile faded and was replaced by a look of concern, “Is everything alright, Mr. Gordon?”

Gordon straightened his glasses and sighed, “I’m hoping that you can tell me that it is, Mr. Pennyworth.”

Alfred nodded in acceptance that their cryptic conversation would continue when he arrived, “I will meet you both in the foyer.”

 _Just let this have all been a mistake. Surely Bruce would have gotten word to me if something had happened._ Gordon slid his fingers under his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. _Who am I kidding, If something happened to Selina, Bruce wouldn’t have gotten word to anyone he would be lucky to live through it himself. That might be why he wasn’t answering his cell._ Meghan cried softly against his chest and Gordon thought for the countless time, _just let it be a mistake…let her be all right._

_x_

Bruce pulled into the valet parking in front of his building and the door of the Lamborghini was lifted expertly by the concierge James, “Good afternoon, Mr. Wayne. It is a pleasure to see you on this fine day.”

Bruce couldn’t help but admire the older gentleman’s spirits. Despite all that had happened in Gotham it was business as usual for James. Bruce found himself wondering how the elder gentleman had survived the occupation. _Where had he kept himself? How had he provided for his family?_ Bruce wondered about that for many of the people of Gotham. Apparently the security officers had made a valiant stand to hold the Plaza building. After his arrival back in Gotham it had been widely heralded as one of the few buildings not to fall to the riots; something that had been attributed to him as the owner and operator.

Bruce glanced around the city street as he squinted against the north wind, “James, I have a lovely companion that will be joining me shortly. Her name is Selina Kyle and effective immediately she will be taking permanent residence with me.”

James nodded and his face betrayed no reaction to the news whatsoever. It was one of the reasons he had been so effective at his position for so long, discretion. If the Gotham Times was going to break the story about Bruce Wayne’s new love interest it would not be because the information was leaked by James so Bruce minced no words. “We will require assistance in moving some clothing, if possible could you provide—”

James nodded and gave Bruce a small bow, “I will send Frederick up in the freight elevator and her belongings will be secured in the rear laundry of your suite.”

Bruce nodded, “I will also require an additional four parking slips.”

James nodded and gestured to the young man at the valet station, “Hold on A6 through A10. “ He returned his attention to Bruce, “Anything else necessary to make her feel welcome, Sir?”

Bruce shook his head, “Not that I can think of, James.”

“Mr. Wayne, will you and Ms. Kyle be expecting any additional visitors beside the Commissioner so that I may expedite their welcome?”

Bruce looked at the elder gentlemen in admiration and surprise. James had intentionally elevated Selina to equal footing with him which did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, that was the kind of thing that made James indispensable. The news that Gordon was there, however, was a bit surprising. “Commissioner Gordon is here? Now?”

James nodded, “Indeed Mr. Wayne. Mr. Gordon and his child both, sir. They arrived nearly an hour ago.”

Bruce pursed his lips and shook his head at the man, “No other guests are anticipated James, but stay on your toes.”

“Sir, what will Ms. Kyle be arriving in so that I may attend to her personally?”

Bruce smiled, “Keep your eyes open for an American classic.” Bruce patted the man’s shoulder as he walked past, “And don’t get too accustomed to that last name of hers. It will be changing in the very near future.”

“Very good, sir. Very good indeed!” James smiled as he watched Mr. Wayne walk himself through the doors and he resumed his post inside the encapsulated valet station. He found himself eagerly anticipating the arrival of the woman that had captured Gotham’s wealthiest bachelor.

_It had been a long time since Mr. Wayne darkened the doorsteps of this building and when he had before it had been with less than stellar female selections. Beautiful, but empty-headed for the most part. The only notable exception was the young DA that he had been such good friends with. Tragic, that a woman so young and full of promise would be taken from the earth, but then Gotham was never short of tragedy it seemed._

James Blanchard had worked for this facility for nearly twenty-four years now in one capacity or another and he was still as thorough and fastidious today as he was the first day he had been hired. He was about to begin his dressing down of the young Hispanic valet for not having ensured his shoes were polished when he heard the deep rumbling of a supercharged V8 approaching, “Please ensure that you are on top of your manners Armando.” His voice rose slightly to overcome the guttural reverberation of the engine and rumbling exhaust as a purple Dodge Challenger pulled into the reception area.

“Oh man that’s like a 1974,” came the excited exclamation from the valet. James laid a hand on his shoulder and settled him, “Allow me to greet, you go fetch the wardrobe valets, “I think the new resident of the penthouse suite has arrived. Just for your future knowledge, Armando, this would be the love interest of the man that signs your paychecks.”

James walked around the car and he himself took a quick moment to admire the fine lines of the old vehicle. The antique muscle car was immaculate. It was a deep plum purple that darkened into a midnight black on the hood over the raised scoop. When he leaned down to the handle he wasn’t surprised to see a lovely woman looking up at him, “Ms. Kyle, I presume?”

x

Bruce had contemplated waiting for Selina but upon hearing that Gordon was there he had elected to leave her in James’s capable hands. He checked his watch and frowned unhappily at the slow progress of the elevator. _I am going to have Fox work on this; express should mean I am pressed to the floor from the G forces._ He slipped his hand involuntarily into his pocket searching habitually, yet still in vain for his cell phone. It was back at Applied Sciences. On the mission the team had all the communication they needed between the individual devices on their persons and the comlink in the Tumbler, but now devoid of the uniforms or costumes as Selina preferred to call them, he was at a distinct electronic disadvantage. 

 _They could have been trying to reach us all day and we wouldn’t have known it._ He tried not to let his mind get carried away with the thoughts of why Gordon was here. _If it were serious, Fox would have found us._

He stepped off of the elevator and was greeted by an unhappy Alfred Pennyworth, “It is about bloody time, Master Wayne.” Alfred had Meghan in his arms and he looked past Bruce into the elevator. For a moment he saw panic in Alfred’s eyes, “Where is the missus?” The question was nearly a whisper and Bruce felt an undercurrent of emotion.

“She is on her way,” he looked at Alfred as he dropped a black duffel bag onto the floor and followed it with his coat, “Would you mind telling me what is the matter Alfred?”

Meghan raised her head off of Alfred’s shoulder and looked at Bruce. She was a wreck, her eyes were puffy and red and her breath hitched as she tried to talk to Bruce. She was craning her neck as she looked around for something. Her face fell and she dropped back dejectedly onto Alfred’s shoulder. Bruce laid a hand on her back and rubbed gently, “Meghan sweetheart, what is all of this?” She reached for him and Alfred relinquished the child to his concerned employer. As she slipped into his arms Bruce looked at Alfred in confusion.

“You have seen her? Selina…today? Recently?” Alfred’s pointed questions further mystified Bruce and when he didn’t immediately answer Alfred prompted him sternly, “ _Master Wayne_.” His reprimand garnered a quick response from the billionaire who immediately felt eight years old again.

“ _Yes, Alfred! Today!”_ Bruce answered adamantly, “She was with me all night and all today. _Now what in the world is going on?_ ”

Gordon and Alfred shared a look and the relief on their faces was unmistakable. Alfred let out a breath and patted Meghan’s leg, “Now see, all is well. Like I said from the beginning, your cat lady is alright.” His worried eyes met Bruce’s and he glanced down at Meghan again before he whispered, “Where is Selina and why haven’t the two of you been answering your bloody phones?”

Bruce held Meghan protectively in his arms, “She should be here anytime, she was following me and got caught at a light.” Bruce looked over at Gordon as he rocked Meghan. _Whatever this was...it was obviously centered  on Selina_.

Meghan sniffled and curled into his neck, “She’s not coming. She is in heaven like my mommy. “

Bruce paled as he looked down at the little girl in his arms, he could feel her tears soaking through the fabric of his shirt as she began to cry again in earnest. _This is what would get Gordon up and over here on a Saturday afternoon. Poor little thing, it must have been a nightmare, something about Selina. Maybe it triggered the grief of losing her mother._ “No darling,” Bruce soothed her, “I was just with her, now she is ok. I promise. She is just fine.” Meghan sniffled against him and he felt her shuddering breath as she tried to speak again and failed. “Now what made you think such a thing, Meghan? Did you have a bad dream?”

She shook her head as she rose off his chest, pinning him with her watery blues eyes, “The TV people said it.” She had a steady stream of tears dripping off her chin and it was apparent to Bruce how convinced the child was that Selina was gone.

Bruce felt his brows draw together in sympathy, “No baby it’s not true. I was just with her.” Meghan laid her head back down on his shoulder and she whimpered something as she pressed her face into his chest. Bruce looked at Gordon and mouthed ‘W _hat the hell_?’

Gordon took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. “Apparently there was a vehicle on motorbike accident a short time after the deal with Scarecrow got tied up. Female rider…no id…descriptions matched the Catwoman.” He pressed his lips and shook his head in disgust, “Of course the press ran with it.” He looked at Meghan and his voice cracked, “She turned on the TV while I was making breakfast.” He looked over at Alfred who had laid a supportive hand on his shoulder, “She has been inconsolable ever since.”

Bruce bounced Meghan lightly as he listened; he narrowly avoided an expletive to express his extreme discontent. Instead he kissed Meghan on the forehead and whispered, “I promise Meghan, she will be here in a few minutes.”

Meghan hugged him tighter and took a deep, hitching breath.

 _Damn news reporters get away with saying whatever crap comes into their minds without regard for what it does to innocent people._ He climbed up a short run of steps to the landing in front of the enormous bank of windows that stretched into a panorama around the penthouse. Bruce paced the length of it quickly with her in his arms. She rustled against his chest and another soft sob broke him out of his anger as he focused on the little bundle in his arms. “Meghan, I will always tell you the truth. Now I promise, Selina was just with me. We went to get some of her things. She is going to be staying here with me.”

Alfred watched Bruce with the young child and he felt the similarity of Thomas Wayne walking through the manor with the colicky young master in his arms. Alfred knew that the endless trail Thomas walked night after night was more to calm himself than to sooth the baby. The same was to be said now for Bruce as he stalked the city skyline with Meghan held in his arms.

Meghan looked up at Bruce, she seemed to be trying to gauge if he was being truthful, “You were at her house?”

Bruce hesitated both in his step and his speech before he answered, “Kind of. This is going to be her house now.”

Meghan argued with that, “This isn’t a house.”

Bruce laughed as he wiped his thumb across her glistening cheeks, “It’s not? What is it then?” She looked at him and shrugged, not offering an answer. Bruce strolled more calmly back across the bank of windows with Meghan sitting in the crook of his arm. Her own arm was secured around his neck as they discussed the status of his domicile, “Why isn’t it a house?” 

Meghan pressed her cheek against his and her hand toyed with his ear, “It doesn’t have a yard so it can’t be a house.”

“Sure it has a yard,” Bruce smiled and pointed with his free hand to the decorative blocks of grass that grew out of the stark concrete patio. The checkered pattern was the only break from the stark coldness of urban landscape, “It has trees too,” he showed her the massive concrete planters that held spiraled junipers. “Now can it be a house?”

Meghan shook her head and wiped at her eyes, “No. You don’t have a TV. Every house has to have a TV.”

 _Because look at all of the great things television has done for us today..._ Bruce held back the tirade that wanted to manifest itself and instead turned expectantly to Alfred. The elder man nodded indulgently and activated a switch on a remote control. A watercolor Monet lifted into a slip in the ceiling revealing an enormous LED television over the fireplace. Meghan looked in wonder as the television appeared. She peered back at Bruce ensuring that he had also witnessed the fascinating emergence of the television.

Her eyes were still watery, but her sniffling had stopped and some of her sadness had been replaced with a bit of childlike wonder. “Now can it be a house?” Bruce asked her the question masking his amusement with a look of serious concern. He stayed stoic as he waited for her approval.

Meghan thought about it and shook her head no.

Bruce looked properly devastated and she laughed a little at his comic disappointment. Bruce wiped the last tears from her face as his soft eyes held hers, “What am I missing little darling’? Why is this still not a house?”

She shrugged, “It’s just not a house. It is a compartment.”

Bruce nodded as if she had finally broken through to him, “I see. I see. This is just an _apartment_ ,” he gently corrected her wording, “So you have a hard definition of the word house then? I get it now. Well...do you think Selina would mind staying with me here... in my _apartment_ , instead of a real house?”

Meghan shrugged that she didn’t know, “Maybe she can buy you a real house like mine.”

Bruce grinned at the insinuation that she and Gordon had a better set up than he, “Maybe she will Meghan. Until we find something more acceptable, maybe Selina wouldn’t mind roughing things out here with me? What do you think?”

“Ask her and find out,” came Selina’s amused response.

X

Selina rode the express elevator up to the penthouse and promised herself she would never ride the main one again. This was nothing compared to Bruce’s safe house lift but it was at least three times as fast as the main elevator and you were guaranteed no stops. James had been helpful enough to suggest it to her as he hand delivered her to the destination. He had commandeered her the moment she stepped out of her car. The old guy was alright in Selina’s book and she seemed to be ok in his from the reception he gave her.

 _Selina Kyle was a surprise to say the least_. James had taken one look at the antique vehicle and made an immediate judgment call on the new girlfriend. _It would appear Mr. Wayne has avoided the vapid, chic women of Gotham and found for himself a woman of varied and intriguing interests..._

A wardrobe dolly was brought to the car and several attendees began the removal of her clothing and personal items.

Selina smiled at the young Hispanic man that had been admiring the vehicle and handed him the keys on his second trip around the car. She didn’t blame him for the open attention he showed. The chassis was painted black over purple and clear coated until it looked like glass. The black canvas convertible top was up and the interior was black tooled leather, he looked up at Selina and smiled, “This is cherry. What is it…a seventy-four?”

Selina shook her head, “Seventy.”

The kid whistled appreciatively and James cleared his throat indicating that the young man was dangerously close to overstepping his position. Selina just winked at the valet as he slipped into the driver’s seat, “It has a hesitation going into second, hold the clutch down.”

He nodded and tried not to smile. Selina paused as she looked at the old car and she smiled wistfully. _This old lady and I had been through a lot together, but she’s holding together pretty good despite all the wear and tear._ Selina couldn’t help but think of her analogy when she had been hassling Bruce over replacing himself with Blake. _A_ _little body damage here and there was to be expected on a classic. ..._ She sighed as she felt the fatigue of the day weighing on her _...the dents and dings add up over time..._ It had been a long emotional day and she was ready for some downtime.

X

Selina had heard Bruce’s voice in the main room as she dropped her bag in the hall. She watched as he and Meghan had their little discussion. Her lips twisted into a smirk and then softened into a strange hopeful smile as she was overwhelmed with a strange feeling of time displacement. She felt like she was watching a future event. She felt like she was watching Bruce holding his daughter... _Our daughter._.. _Whoa, where did that come from?_

She felt a swell of love that accompanied that image and let her feet carry her unannounced into the main room. Gordon and Alfred stood immediately as she entered. She placed a finger over her lips and smiled as she indicated she wanted to hear the rest of the interaction with Meghan and Bruce.

Alfred chuckled lightly and nodded as he gave Selina a welcoming hug. She kissed his cheek and gave his hand a squeeze as he whispered, “We have been worried about you. Meghan especially.”

Selina looked at Gordon and he just shook his head, “Long story, Ms. Kyle.” He shifted awkwardly, not really knowing how to greet the woman that stood before him.

Selina read that on him and crossed the distance between them, slipping her arm around him as she kissed his cheek, “Good to see you again Jim.” Her flirty tone never ceased to make him nervous and this time was no exception. She kept her arm draped over his shoulders as they watched Bruce and Meghan.

Selina let Meghan roast Bruce awhile more over the unacceptable conditions of his penthouse before finally speaking up and saving him.

Meghan let out a shriek and Bruce winced at the unexpected assault on his hearing. He kept a steady hand on her despite the debilitating pain in his ear and lowered her quickly to her kicking feet. Any speed that he could hope to transport her with was bound to be glacial compared to how fast the ecstatic little girl could make it under her own steam.

Selina winked at Gordon as they released one another and she knelt down to catch the leaping child. Gordon and Alfred smiled in relief as Selina wrapped up the little girl and hugged her close. Selina twirled them both in a tight spin and Bruce heard her ask, “What’s shakin’ bacon?”

Meghan was half-laughing and half-crying as she responded with, “What’s the deal banana peel?”

Selina and Meghan were reduced to hysterical laughter and Gordon just shook his head at Bruce’s amused look, “Welcome to the slumber party experience, Mr. Wayne.” Bruce barked out a laugh at that and smiled over at Alfred as his dearest companion watched on with obvious emotion.

Selina seemed totally oblivious to the angst that had preceded her arrival and Bruce wondered if that was intentional or accidental on her part. Either way it was effective, as she tossed a now cackling Meghan over her shoulder and strode across the room to give him a quick kiss.

Meghan who was being suspended by her ankles, laughed as she spanked Selina’s bottom, “What’s the word mocking bird?”

Selina grinned at the continued word play and pulled the little girl back over her shoulder returning a light spanking to Meghan’s as she responded, “What’s the tale nightingale?”

Selina looked closely at Meghan, the child’s curly blonde hair was wet, tangled and flying everywhere. “Little girl, you have got one wild wig on today. What say we get you washed up and try to tame that thing?” Meghan nodded and smiled at Selina. The unabashed love in her eyes was enough to twist Bruce up inside.

“Maybe if we ask nice, Alfred might hook us up with something awesome to eat.” Selina patted her back and gave a smile to Alfred as he nodded his willingness to supply the aforementioned awesome food. Selina moved to set her down and Meghan tightened her arms around Selina’s neck as she resisted the attempt to be deposited. Selina gathered her back up and Meghan relaxed visibly. Selina kissed her cheek and Meghan dropped her head onto Selina’s chest and pulled a handful of hair over her face, hiding behind the long brown wave, “That alright with you commissioner?” Selina asked Gordon his permission.

Gordon watched Meghan and the similarity from the day they found her hit him and it hit him hard. He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets, “Of course it is.” His voice was choked with emotion.

Selina looked down at Meghan peeking from under her hair and then back to Gordon, understanding his reaction completely. “I got this Jim.”

He nodded and looked away from Selina with a heavy sigh.

Bruce watched the exchange understanding the shared history between them. He looked on protectively as Selina hugged Meghan closer, feeling the ache in his heart as he thought of all they had been through. Selina gave him a knowing look, “We will be just a minute.” She bounced Meghan until the child was giggling softly, and Selina gave Gordon another wink, “See ya later alligator.”

As she walked away Meghan peered over her shoulder at Gordon and waved, “After while crocodile.” She massacred the pronunciation of crocodile which had the three men laughing as the two disappeared into the master bedroom.

X

Gordon lost Meghan to the third round of goodbyes as she hugged and kissed her way through Bruce, Selina and Alfred. The only thing that finally got them out the door was Bruce’s promise that Christmas Eve was to be spent back there with them. Gordon nearly apologized before Alfred stopped him, “You would be doing us all a service by coming, Commissioner. It has been quite a long time since I have experienced Christmas through the eyes of a child.”

Gordon watched as Bruce lifted Meghan above him, acting as if he was going to drop her as she cackled. Selina stood beside him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder as he lowered Meghan safely back down. “Daddy, did you see?” Selina’s eyes brightened at that and Gordon carried on as if it was the most common thing in the world for the little girl to have called him daddy.

“I saw it munchkin,” He glanced up at Bruce who beamed at him happily, “It’s a good thing I trust you to have sure hands when it comes to my children, Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce’s lip twitched at that and he took it as an invitation to ask about Gordon’s son, “How is junior?”

Gordon allowed a faint smile to birth, “I will find out the day after Christmas. They are flying out to visit. He looked proudly at Meghan, “Everyone is pretty excited to meet this one.”

Meghan grinned and dropped her head onto Bruce’s chest, “I’m gonna meet Bubba and Babs.”

Bruce rubbed her back and smiled, “You are going to love them, Meghan, and they are really going to love you.”

Meghan patted his shoulder and kissed him resoundingly on the lips before wrapping him into a hard hug, “I love you, Uncle Bruce.”

Bruce Wayne stood there holding the little girl against him and took a deep breath through her soft blonde curls, “I love you too, Meghan. I am so glad you are part of my life now.” He felt her nod that she was happy about it too.

“I am going to marry you I think,” Meghan said quietly into his ear.

Selina overheard this and raised an eyebrow as she waited for Bruce’s reaction to that revelation. Bruce chuckled and kissed her temple before he whispered back, “What about Selina? I love her too. I can’t marry you both.” His eyes danced as he looked at Selina liking the softness in her face as she watched over them.

Meghan patted his shoulder again and gave him a sad look, “She loves Batman I think.”

Bruce snorted a laugh and Selina gave Meghan a nod when the child looked over at her for confirmation, “You got that right kid.”

Gordon finally pulled his wayward daughter away from her admirers and the door slid shut between them. He was grateful that it was before Bruce Wayne confessed his alternate identity to the little blonde chatterbox. It was stressful enough that she was aware of Selina as Catwoman. He had spent many an hour explaining how important it was to keep it between only them and he had no intention of adding more angst with a Batman confession. He pressed the button on the elevator and faced the long drop to the lobby. A thought needled its way in his mind as he glanced around the confines of the elevator car. His mind worked on an idea for a moment before he grinned over at Meghan. “Maybe it’s time Gotham showed Mr. Wayne some appreciation.” He wondered if he was overstepping his bounds before he muttered _, “_ The hell with it. I will get Alfred to help me. Bruce can’t kill us both.”

x

Selina smiled at Alfred and gave him a quick kiss. “You look exhausted, Sir Alfred. I’m getting dishes tonight. You go have a brandy by the fire.” Selina had already turned on a barefoot heel and was headed toward the kitchen before an argument could be had with her.

Bruce shrugged at Alfred and smiled, “She’s the boss.”

Selina looked over her shoulder with a lifted brow and cocky smirk, “Bruce, why don’t you make Alfred a drink and fetch his slippers?”

Alfred gave Bruce a smile; “She’s a good boss at that. Isn’t she there, master Wayne?”

Selina had just finished collecting plates from the impromptu dinner Alfred had prepared and was standing at the sink scraping the scraps into the disposal when she felt Bruce’s arms encircle her waist. She smiled over her shoulder and his head dropped down on the other side with his mouth brushing her neck. He stayed this way for a long moment and Selina nudged him lightly with her shoulder, “You gonna wash or dry, master Wayne?”

Bruce chuckled as his lips pressed kisses up her long neck toward her jaw, “Neither.”

Selina lifted her shoulder and shooed him away, “No canoodling in the kitchen, Wayne.” Bruce turned and leaned on the counter and looked at her for a long moment. Selina blushed a little under the heat of his direct gaze and she focused her attention on her task, “This isn’t a spectator sport, Mr. Wayne. Get in the game.”

“We have a dishwasher,” Bruce offered the suggestion in lieu of actually physically assisting her.

Selina grinned, “We sure do and his name is, Bruce.” She pressed a sponge into his hand and they both smiled.

“Touché’,” Bruce looked amused by the prospect of helping her. He reached for a pot and Selina stopped him with a shake of her head, “Pots last, big guy…glasses first.” She placed the crystal water glasses carefully into the water. They worked in companionable silence until he caught her eyeing him. His raised brows were enough of an invitation to get her to speak, “You were really great with her Bruce.” Selina gave him a shy look as she lowered the white plates into the water.

“So were you,” Bruce watched her carefully and he weighed out his words. “Have you ever thought about it...having kids?” Selina looked quickly up into his eyes and he knew that there was apprehension there. _Get your track shoes ready...on your mark...get set...run away...…_

Selina gave him a considering look before she spoke, “No I haven’t.” She almost said something else but she stopped herself, “Why? Is it something you think about?”

Bruce slipped several scrubbed dishes into the heated water in the adjoining basin. He watched as Selina pushed up the sleeves of his sweatshirt and retrieved them one by one methodically drying them with the towel that she had tossed over her shoulder. “I hadn’t,” Bruce paused, “I guess I hadn’t ever really been around kids enough to know if I wanted any. No brothers or sisters.”

He looked up at Selina and she gave him an understanding smile. “You didn’t have anyone to practice on. No nephews or nieces to play uncle to.”

He nodded that she was correct and placed a stack of serving plates into the rinse water. Bruce looked at her closely as she dried the dish in her hand, “You seemed like a natural with her.”

Selina settled a plate into the drying rack and flipped the towel over her shoulder, “Must be from my time with the Hans. I enjoyed helping with the children.”

Bruce shook his head and dropped a pot into the water, “I’m sorry, Selina.”

She smiled up at him and gave him a nudge, “Don’t be. They were the only things about my childhood worth remembering.” Selina rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek before returning the pot to him, pointing out the spots he had missed. Bruce grumbled at her and Selina felt her herself falling even further for this man at her side, “You will make an exceptional father someday, Bruce.” The words were out of her mouth before she considered the ramifications that should he have his way, she would likely be the mother to those imaginary children.

“What makes you think that, Selina?” Bruce looked at her his eyes earnest and hopeful.

She brushed her leg against his and tilted her head as she met his eyes, “The examples you have been shown. The way you speak about your father…Alfred...Gordon. You couldn’t help but be a wonderful father with men like that to model yourself after.”

Bruce sat the last pot into the rinse water and lifted the drain in the sink, “It isn’t always the good examples that teach us life lessons, Selina. Sometimes we learn the most from people that show us what not to be. “

Selina considered that as she finished drying the pot and sat it on the rack. She shook out the cloth and draped it over them to dry. Bruce let his hand rest on her hip for a moment and when she turned to him his mouth covered hers and they both forgot for a moment the rules of the kitchen.

She opened to him and felt his warm tongue gently caress hers as he pushed deeper into her mouth. His hand circled her waist as the other found its way into the long curly length of her hair. He captured her lip gently with his teeth and he nipped her lightly until he heard the low moan in her throat and he broke away with a satisfied smile, “I can’t wait to hold you tonight in our bed, Selina.” He captured her chin between his thumb and finger and his eyes devoured her as he waited for her response.

 _“_ Our bed?” She tilted her head as she appraised him with her warm brown eyes.

“What’s mine is yours,” He made the simple sentence sound like both a promise and an offer as he laid himself open to her. “All that I have and all that I am belongs to you Selina.” He watched as she processed the magnitude of what he said. It wasn’t any sentiment that he hadn’t expressed before, but here standing in his million dollar penthouse, washing his bone china dishware, retiring to his designer bedroom and expensive Egyptian sheets, the fact that he wanted her to think of it as belonging to her finally landed...finally.

Selina tilted her head and her lip twisted into a smirk, “So...if I felt like it I could take this priceless serving platter and just smash it on the floor because its mine?” Her eyes were sparkling as she taunted him.

Bruce grinned and shrugged, “You could, but I wouldn’t recommend it.” He nodded toward the living room, “We both still have to answer to Alfred. “

Selina blinked and she saw into the heart of him at that moment. Bruce Wayne, open and vulnerable and asking for someone to help fill the part of himself that had been empty for so long. Inviting her into his family. “I love that about you, Bruce.” Her voice threatened to betray her emotion and she didn’t care, “I absolutely love that.”

Bruce dropped his eyes and looked up at her sheepishly, “What?”

Selina ran her hand over his cheek, “I love that you know what you have in him.”

Bruce swallowed, “I didn’t always. I was a fool and pushed him away. I’m not going to make mistakes like that again. I’m not taking love for granted, not ever again.”

Selina kissed him gently and nodded that she agreed, “I am going to check on the man that runs this place and then I will meet you in _our_ bedroom.”

Bruce stood a moment as he heard her call out to Alfred and a soft smile touched his lips. _This is it. This is the forever that I could live with. Tonight...every night like this. Is this how it is for everyone or is it as special and precious and unique as it feels?_ He shut off the light in the kitchen and stood in the doorway watching as Selina poured Alfred another brandy. Their familiar silhouettes were outlined against the orange glow of the fireplace. Selina sat beside him on the armrest with her hand on his shoulder. He heard Meghan’s name and he turned away leaving Selina and Alfred to their discussion.

Xx

Bruce flipped on the shower and skinned out of his clothes, dropping his watch on the counter next to Selina’s. _She must have taken it off when she and Meghan had been cleaning up._   It was just a simple watch obviously old but kept in functional condition thanks to the care of it's owner. His fingertip traced over the clouded crystal and he smiled as he pictured little Meghan giggling as she dashed through the living room wrapped in a long, trailing towel. Her damp yellow curls were streaming after her as Selina laughingly chased her down.

He flicked on the shower and dropped under the water, letting the warm spray wash away the stress of the day. _So much had happened…just since Selina and he were last in this room together.. so much._

Selina saw his pile of clothes on the bathroom floor and she was quick to see that hers joined them. As she stood outside the shower she watched Bruce as he stood under the beating spray of water. He was gorgeous, his body was leaner than he had been in Florence, but he was still well muscled and powerful. There wasn’t a time when she looked at him that it didn’t pull at her to have him and tonight was no different. But it was somehow different, she had seen a side to Bruce Wayne tonight that she hadn't known existed and she wanted him more because of it.

Bruce felt her eyes on him and he lifted his head and turned to her. The spray hit him at the neck and ran down over his chest as he watched her walk toward him. He was still partially aroused from their kiss in the kitchen and her naked form ensured that he was ready by the time she reached him. Bruce brushed her cheek with his knuckle and was about to pull her into him when Selina’s hands lifted and found him first. She ran her palms lightly over his chest and across his shoulders. Bruce held himself still as she explored his body. He liked the confidence she was showing now. Not just the bravado from before, but the actual confidence of a woman that knew the man she was with belonged to her. Her hands traced down his sides and he flinched as her nails brushed over his ribs. Her eyes lifted and she paused, “Painful?”

Bruce smiled, “Ticklish.” Selina smiled and he was gone, His mouth was covering hers and he had her in his arms spinning her under the water before the surprised laugh could escape her lips. He held her under the warm spray of the water and let his hands roam freely over her skin as they talked and held each other. Selina nuzzled under his chin and let her hands knead at the muscles of his lower back. “Ah…now that feels good.” He relished her touch on his fatigued muscles even as heavy hands rested on her shoulders working at the knots he had felt in her. “We are quite the wrecks aren’t we kitten?”

Selina smiled at the nickname and the truth of how battered and exhausted they both were as she rolled her neck and enjoyed the feel of his hands on her. Bruce smiled down at her, “You know what I want?”

Selina slid her eyes open and looked up at him with a sleepy smile, “What do you want, handsome?”

“I want to take you to bed, massage every inch of your body until you are jelly and then I want you to curl up in my arms and I want to sleep for days.” Selina laughed and Bruce sighed and laid his head against her shoulder as she rubbed his neck, “I know that probably makes me sound old, but I need some time to get caught back up after all this. “

Selina smiled and hugged his body to hers, “I know exactly how you feel.” She felt him rocking her slowly and she realized that they both were barely hanging on. She pulled away reluctantly and found his bar soap. She worked it quickly over herself before offering it to him. He accepted it and slowly rubbed it over his body as he watched her pick up his shampoo bottle. He let her pour a dab into her palm before he stopped her, “Alfred brought your things in.

He glanced over to the shelf by the entrance and Selina gave him an appraising look, “Why did you let me use your shampoo then?”

He smiled and dipped his head down to her and brushed her cheek with his, Selina took the invitation and ran the soap through his hair. Bruce steadied himself against her as she massaged his scalp and lathered the shampoo through his thick hair. His eyes were shut and he just enjoyed the feel of her fingers as her nails scraped gently against his scalp. Bruce tightened his hands on her hips and stopped himself before they slid lower. Selina guided him under the fall of water and rinsed out the shampoo. She brushed back his hair and smiled at him when he opened his eyes, “That felt ...relaxing.” Selina smiled and let him guide her under the spray of water, “Mind if I return the favor?”

Selina’s eyes were fogged with sleepy passion as she enjoyed the erotic view she was afforded when he encouraged her to drop her head as he massaged in the shampoo. He stood in front of her in all his naked glory, allowing his hands to massage through her long locks. It was only a matter of moments before Selina’s hands were slipping down his muscled stomach. _He knows better than to expect me to keep my hands to myself..._ Bruce exhaled forcefully and the breath ended in a low growl. Selina smiled and slid her hands lower as she watched him harden. It was a beautiful thing to behold this man’s body as it readied itself for her. His hands slipped through her hair as she took him in hand and they lost themselves in each other. It was a slow build of passion as the water heated their bodies and their breaths quickened in anticipation.

Selina felt him lift her chin and the water streamed down over her head. Both of his hands were in her hair as he rinsed away the lather. His hands drifted down her back and his lips found the sensitive skin of her neck. Then Bruce gripped her hips and lifted her, pushing her thighs apart with his body as he settled her on the marble shelf. Selina gripped his shoulders and shuddered as he pushed himself into her. Bruce held her tight to his body as his head dropped back against his shoulders. It was a triumphant pose, head thrown back, legs spread wide in a confident stance, water exploding off his chest as he relished the feeling of being buried inside her.

Selina watched content enjoying the view until he was finally ready to move. Bruce pulled himself slowly from her body, only to push in with a satisfyingly hard thrust. Selina relaxed herself back, bracing her shoulders on the warm marble wall as she accepted his pace and absorbed the heavy impact of his body into hers. It was sweet anguish as the friction built and the soreness from the night before reawakened. Bruce blinked lazily down at her before he flipped a lever and the waterfall over the shelf began. Selina startled as she felt water drop unexpectedly over her breasts. She looked up at Bruce but found his attention was lost to the show offered by the water. She arched her back and was rewarded with his strangled moan as she both took him deeper inside her as well as presenting him with a prime view of her chest as the water poured over her.

Bruce held her hips in a desperate grip as he watched the gentle bounce of her breasts as he thrust into her. The water spattered off her chest and ran in streams off her nipples. He found himself licking his lips as he imagined sucking the water off the hardened mounds. Selina hadn’t ever seen Bruce lose track of himself as he had just then. She smiled as she ran her hands up her sides and cupped under her breasts lifting them seductively. Bruce stalled as he watched her slide her thumbs over her peaked nipples. He gasped as she squeezed them together. The unabashed worship in his eyes and the satisfaction of him moving inside her caught Selina up in the moment as well and she moaned softly in contentment.

Bruce felt himself throb as he watched her caressing her breasts and he thrust harder into her. He tried to regain some control as he found his voice, “Touch yourself, Selina.” Her eyes slipped open and she registered the heated look from her partner, “Touch yourself while I fuck you. Come on…do it baby.” His tongue ran over his lips as he anticipated her compliance.

Selina smiled and ran a hand down between them; she caressed him down his stomach all the way to her entrance. Bruce slid out and allowed her hand to circle him at his base and he lost himself in the sensation of multiple friction points. He raised his eyes to her and demanded again that she touch herself. Selina brought her hand to her body and gave Bruce a smirk as she gave them what they both wanted. Bruce growled at that sight of her pleasuring herself and his tempo quickened to match the pace of her hand. Selina relaxed back as she focused on the movement of her own fingers and his hard thrusts into her body. She let her other hand find her breast and she massaged the tender flesh.

Bruce moaned as she gave him a show. His belly clenched with the need to orgasm. There was no fighting this off. The need was primal and urgent and his jaw clinched as he forced himself hard and deep into her. Her breath caught and her eyes snapped open and locked on his face as her body pulsed around him. _Thank god._ That was his first rational thought. _Thank god she_ _came_. _I would have felt like a bastard for not getting her there first._ He scolded himself knowing that they could have had more tonight if he had controlled himself better, but as he looked again at her glistening breasts he realized how futile it would have been to even try to hold back and deny himself. He dipped his head and captured the tip of her nipple.

Selina arched and gave him access to herself even as he was pulling out of her body. He lifted his eyes to her as he rolled the sensitive tip in his mouth, “Let’s finish cleaning up. I want to get dirty with you again in our bed.” He murmured the request into her wet flesh. He refusing to relinquish his prize until she promised him a chance for sexual redemption.

“You’re the boss, Mr. Wayne.”

He released her reluctantly staying close beside her as a wave of possessiveness gripped him. He took the conditioner from her hand and squeezed a dollop into his palm. He pulled her hair gently as he encouraged her to lay her head back under the steady stream of water. She relaxed into his arms and extended her neck as he supported her. This was when he felt most protective of her, when he knew it was him that trusted, “God, you are beautiful like this. I see you like this in my dreams, Selina.”

He wet her hair and shifted her so the water fell over her torso as he rubbed the product into her long tresses. She stayed laid over his arm as he worked on her. Her flexibility was apparent as he dipped her further and she obediently arched. He murmured his approval as his teeth grazed her breasts and his fist clutched harder in her hair. _I love... love...that she trusts me like this. She trusts me..._ He returned her to stand beside him and ran his thumb gently over her lips, “After all of our discussion tonight, it occurs to me, Selina, that there is something I have never asked you about.”

She looked at him with interest as she rinsed out her hair, “What?”

“Well, we have had a lot of sex...and as a man I should have shown you greater consideration...used more...care with you…” He tilted his head expectantly as his eyes searched her face for understanding.

Selina raised her brows,” Are you asking me if I am on birth control?”

Bruce smiled and nodded, “Yes Selina...That’s what I am asking.”

Selina stepped away from him and rinsed herself under the water before shutting it off, “Of course I am.”

She seemed offended that he would think any different. He followed her out of the shower vaguely amused by her reaction. She tossed him a towel and wrapped another around herself and then twisted a second around her dripping hair. She flipped it behind her and their eyes met, “Do you not think it my place to ask, Selina?” 

Her eyes softened but she still looked annoyed, he realized her annoyance was with herself when she finally spoke, “Of course it is, I guess I just thought you would know me better than...I’m not some idiot woman who isn’t in control of my body, Bruce.

He smiled and caressed her chin, “It is selfish of me to have not been in control of mine, Selina. To have put the burden of it solely on you. “

That statement gave Selina pause as she considered the depth of care and understanding it took for a man to see this particular gender imbalance and call himself out on it.

“What do you take?”

His simple question was so direct and yet so caringly asked that it struck her deeply. She tried not to let it show when she answered, but her voice was raw when she spoke and she only just managed to say, “IUD.” Bruce nodded and kissed her cheek before letting his nose brush up her jaw. Selina swallowed, “It’s the most effect—”

Bruce pulled her to him, his body rubbed against her and his kiss stopped her explanation, “Do you really think I’m concerned about the effectiveness? That I am concerned about the possibility of a pregnancy?”

Selina blinked, “Like you said. We have had a lot of sex...”

Bruce rocked her against him, “I ask because I care about you. I don’t want to have pushed you into something where you felt like I wasn’t taking proper precautions with you. That I wasn’t respecting you...I would never want something to happen and you to have a moment of regret." His hand dropped to her waist and she felt the heated gaze loosen something in her again. “But I'm not afraid of the possibility of it. In fact I’ve imagined you...” His eyes held hers and he gave her a lazy contented smile, “Well Selina...what that made me feel was neither fear nor regret I assure you. But I would want you it to be a decision you made... for us both to be in the same place before taking a step like that.”

Selina was struck then by what this was, this was a man being a man. This was how a grown adult, educated, caring man dealt with things like this. She shook her head in near disbelief, “You haven’t done anything wrong by me Bruce. I should have told you in the beginning so you didn’t worry...”

“It’s my job to worry over you,” He kissed her gently and nuzzled her neck. “I look forward to worrying over my wife and child both someday.”

Selina shook her head, “You always sound so sure of everything, so confident.”

Bruce nodded and let his lips cover hers, “I am.”

“How?” Her eyes searched his face as if looking for the source of his strength.

Bruce smiled and let his hands roam her body, “I look ahead and I have my eye on the prize.” He kissed her softly, “I got the go ahead from two of the three men tonight, Selina. I am going to be asking you a question soon and when you give me my yes I will see to it your life is everything you ever dreamed it could be...that it should always have been.”

X

Selina walked quietly across the room, Bruce sat on the side of the bed and pulled back the covers for her. He patted the space next to him in open invitation. She dropped her towel and Bruce was treated to another view of her body, bathed in the soft glow of the city lights. His ability to think suspended itself as he watched her crawl across the mattress toward him. Bruce exhaled a breath as she pressed up behind him, her hands ran across his chest and along his neck eventually fisting into his hair. He sat there with his eyes shut as she worked her fingers against his skin kneading his fatigued muscles. “I’m supposed to be doing this for you.” His voice was husky and deep and his breath was coming in deep regular pulls as he relaxed back into her body.

Selina smiled at her exhausted companion. It had been a hell of a few weeks and they were overdue a reprieve. She encouraged him to lie on his stomach and she straddled his thighs before beginning to rub down his shoulders. She heard him whisper that he loved her and then his face went slack and he slipped to sleep. Selina continued on awhile more, reacquainting herself with the scars and marks across his broad back as she worked his muscles under her hands. Selina finally slipped beside him and pulled the covers up over them both as she nestled against him. He turned into her body and pulled her under him, his heavy thigh covering her as his shoulder dropped over her chest and he tucked her securely into his neck.

Selina smiled as he wrapped himself around her and her heart squeezed. He knew she loved being covered by him like this; it made her feel safe and protected. _Honestly Selina, could you be more of either than when in this man’s arms? This is the Batman you are lying next to after all._ She smiled into his neck and whispered, “I love you, Bruce.” 

Selina shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep, her smile deepened as she let herself imagine the possibilities. A little girl with long brown hair running across a vast expanse of green grass. _A little girl that would never know a day of hunger or fear... A happy girl born into a world of love and acceptance... A little brown-haired girl with a quick smile and her daddy’s soft green eyes..._

_x_

_xxEdits by Cheedx_

_xxx_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 

_x_

_xx_

_xxx_

Selina rolled her eyes open and glanced around the room as she tried to place an unfamiliar sound. It came again and she tensed beside Bruce. His voice was low and comforting in her ear, “Just the storm. Cold front finally hit. We have sleet and snow all day in the forecast. “

As if on cue the wind drove another wave of watery ice against the glass of the penthouse. Selina relaxed as she felt Bruce’s arm tighten against her and she burrowed further under him, “Sounds like a great day to stay in bed with you then.”

Bruce smirked and kissed the top of her head as he adjusted himself and tucked her in, “I will take any excuse I can get to stay here next to you. We have already lost most of this day anyway.”

Selina lifted her head and glanced at the analog clock next to the bed. Her hair was piled up in a mass of puffy curls that tumbled over her brow. Bruce smiled down at her and smoothed the unruly curls away from her face. He watched in amusement as she blushed and dropped her head back down under his chin pillowing against his chest. Bruce gave her a little nudge, “Don’t be shy.” Selina smiled and hid her face under the covers as she blinked up at him over the folded edge of the cream-colored sheets. Bruce pursued her under the covers and grinned when he felt her wrap herself around him, “Tell me Selina. What has you flashing those beautiful eyes and blushing in our bed this morning?” She shook her head and smiled at him as she tried to avoid a face to face with the sexy man who was accosting her. Selina squeaked as he tickled down her ribcage, “You had better tell me where that mind of yours is this morning, my love, or I will get it out of you the hard way.”

Selina looked up at him and grinned, “I don’t like my bed head. But I do like playful Bruce Wayne. I bet no one would believe it if I told them he existed.”

Bruce smirked down at her, “You wouldn’t tell anyone. You wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation.”

Selina smiled up at him and was captured by the openness in his eyes, “Your reputation was ruined the second you fell in with the likes of me.”

Bruce considered that and smiled down at her, “Good. I need to toughen up my image. Girls go for the bad boys don’t they?”

Selina nodded, “Some of them do.”

Bruce’s face got serious and he smoothed her hair off her forehead, “Do you?” She shook her head to the negative Bruce raised a brow, “No?”

Selina confirmed it, “No. I’m bad enough all by myself. I like good boys. Public servant types with big hearts and a chest pinned full of merit badges.”

Bruce grinned and kissed her under her jaw, “Are you saying I am a man of merit?”

Selina laughed and hugged him close, “Yes, you are. You are a man of many unique talents...of that I can testify.” Bruce raised another brow at that and Selina leered at him as her thoughts ran to the dirty side of Bruce Wayne’s skill set. Bruce smiled easily as he lay in her arms, “You are good for a man’s self-esteem Selina.” She ran her hands over his shoulders and he flexed his arms tighter around her as he laid his head on her chest, “What does a woman like you do on a day like today?”

Selina smiled down at him, “You are acting like we have never spent a day together.”

Bruce drew back on his elbows and looked down at her, “We have no bank job to pull, no immediate threat in Gotham, no relationship hurdle to overcome. Whatever shall we do with all the free time?”

Selina smiled up at him and stroked his cheek, “Eat…sleep…sex.”

Bruce snorted out a laugh and dropped his lips to hers, “Yes ma’am to all of that.” He kissed her gently and gave her a devilish smile, “Which do you want to do first?”

Selina smiled as her hand slipped down over his bare back, “Eat.” Bruce made a disappointed sound and dropped his head on her chest in mock devastation. “Sorry baby, you asked.” Selina offered the condolence to him without much compassion behind it.

Bruce acknowledged her needs and allowed her to rise out of bed. “I am committed to one of the S’s and since sex is no fun without you I will be sleeping.”

Selina wrapped herself in her loaner purple robe and kissed him on the cheek as she pulled the covers over his bare back, “Can I bring you something?”

Bruce nodded and whispered, “Whip cream...strawberries, and your naked body.”

Selina grinned and found she was hoping that she could make good on that request. When she opened the door of the master suite she sucked in a breath and stepped back, her hand covering her mouth, eyes wide.

Bruce was at her side in an instant, he had snatched his own robe off the ottoman and was shouldering it on as he arrived. There was no question about what had elicited the surprised response from her. Alfred Pennyworth had been a busy butler while they were sleeping the morning away. The entire penthouse had been decorated in anticipation of an elegant Christmas party. The halls had officially been decked. There was a huge twenty-five foot Christmas tree fully decorated with gold and red ornaments dominating the main room, gold lights twinkled down from the ceiling suspended on thin white wires.

Selina walked out into the room as the decorators and workmen were packing away their supplies. She was in complete awe of the transformation.

Alfred was sitting at the kitchen counter with a cup of tea creating a list for the caterer. Selina walked up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder, “I hope that the activity didn’t awaken you Ms. Kyle, but time was of the essence if we are to host a proper Christmas celebration.”

She shook her head and looked around in shock. The sound proofing in the room must have been extensive for she and Bruce had never heard anything. It was obvious that the crew had been working for hours, “It’s beautiful, Alfred. “

He smiled, pleased with her reaction as he watched her walk through the room like it was an enchanted wonderland. Bruce stood in the doorway with this arms crossed over his chest watching Selina with open adoration as she walked through the penthouse. She did a slow turn and her eyes came to rest on him and she slowly smiled, the disbelief still obvious in her eyes, “Can you even believe this?”

Bruce nodded and looked over at Alfred who was preening like a peacock behind his teacup. “This is just Alfred getting warmed up. Isn’t it, Alfred?”

Alfred placed the teacup into the saucer with an arrogant air that only the British had mastered, “Indeed. Should I have been given more than a few hours notice of the pending engagement I might have been able to really do something with this place. As it were, I did want to try and make it special for the little miss."

Selina shook her head and smiled wordlessly as she made another slow turn and took in all of the details. Fresh garland woven in with the gold lights draped against the fireplace the smell of juniper in the room as the tree stood proudly as the centerpiece of the room. It was breathtaking. Bruce knew then she had never had this before. Selina had likely never had a Christmas with family and friends and he realized that Alfred must have guessed that too. He watched his old caretaker as he studied Selina’s reaction with satisfaction. _Alfred you old dog_. Y _ou can say this was for Meghan, but we both know exactly what you did here...and for whom._

Alfred glanced over at Bruce and they shared a look. Alfred smiled into his cup as he sipped the warm beverage. Bruce walked over and clapped a hand on his shoulder, “Well done, Alfred. Very well done.”

Alfred looked beyond pleased as he watched Selina reach out hesitantly and touch a branch of the Christmas tree as she looked up to the star that topped it. Alfred tried not to let the emotion seep into his voice as he spoke, “You and the missus had better get on the spot if are to find a present for little Meghan before tomorrow night.”

“Good call, Alfred. Everyone won’t be as easy as Selina to buy for.”

Alfred glanced outside, “Speaking of, Gotham is predicted to be whited out by Christmas Eve, near blizzard conditions.” Bruce frowned and checked his wrist before he realized his watch wasn’t present. Alfred handed him his pocket watch. “I have already taken the liberty of expediting the arrival of Ms. Kyle’s gift.”

Bruce pursed his lips and considered Alfred and shook his head, “What would I ever do without you, Alfred?”

Alfred looked at him seriously, “Most assuredly starve to death in a bed covered with unwashed sheets.”

X

Selina didn’t even want to imagine what it had taken to get the penthouse outfitted for the holiday party but the result was beautiful and she was grateful to Alfred for having pulled it off so spectacularly. She and Bruce stepped out for a quick shopping trip and by the time they returned Alfred looked exhausted. Selina felt so bad for him she offered to scare them up something to eat. Alfred was more than game to allow Selina the run of the kitchen and Bruce seemed intrigued to see what she came up with. He had been a good sport about the vegetarian dishes thus far so he figured another wouldn’t put an end to him.

Selina disappeared into the kitchen and quickly took stock of the available provisions, which as it turned out was everything under the sun needed to prepare about anything imaginable. It occurred to her then that she really didn’t know Bruce’s tastes well enough to undertake this project and have it come out successfully. She paused at the pantry as she looked from shelf to shelf. Bruce watched her for a long while and he couldn’t help but fall more in love with her as she chewed her thumbnail lost deep in thought. He cleared his throat and Selina turned to him with a look of concentration on her face. He smiled and gestured to the landline, “We can always order take out.”

Selina smiled and leaned over the counter, “You don’t trust me, Mr. Wayne?”

Bruce, only by the narrowest of margins, avoided calling her Ms. Kyle. “I trust you implicitly...my love.” He looked at her sweetly and nodded back to the pantry. “Have at it. I am sure whatever you come up with will be delicious.”

Selina rolled her eyes and huffed a breath of exasperation. “You are no help at all, Wayne. “

x

Selina made meatless stuffed peppers Mediterranean style in tribute to their trip to Florence. Alfred used the time to work up a to-do list for the party and had immersed himself in the project and nearly forgot diner was coming until the smell of the peppers reached his nose. He glanced up at Bruce and they shared a look of anticipation over the mix of enticing scents that emanated from the kitchen.

Selina was plating up Italian roasted vegetables as the men walked unbidden into the room. Alfred was prepared to assist in the place setting, but Selina had it handled. She shooed him out of the kitchen and pulled out a chair for him at the head of the casual dining table. “This is a rare event, Sir Alfred. Best you enjoy it to its fullest,” Her eyes danced as she handled the proper English butler.

Alfred seemed to enjoy the novelty of being waited on and accepted her courtesy graciously. Selina smiled at Bruce as she walked by to collect the plates of food. He offered to assist as well and Selina gave him a smirk and pushed him out of the kitchen towards the table. Bruce just grinned over his shoulder at her. He glanced over at Alfred and smiled at the sight of his old butler allowing himself to be served. It was a sight Bruce had never seen outside the setting of a restaurant. _There seemed to be many firsts to be had with this woman of mine.._. Selina walked back into the kitchen and collected her own plate and set it next to Alfred who by her organization sat at the head of the table. She paused and looked down at him, “White or red Alfred?”

Alfred lifted his head and without hesitation replied, “Red. The Dom Romanee Conti 97. Top right shelf.”

Selina nodded as she took the direction without hesitation. She brought over two wine glasses and set them and the bottle of wine in front of Bruce, she handed him the corkscrew and lifted her brow, “You know what to do with this don’t you?” Not waiting for his reply she returned to the kitchen and poured a glass of iced tea, “Lemon?” she asked Bruce his preference as she filled the glass. Bruce nodded as he spun the steel spiral into the stopper. He pulled the wine soaked cork deftly from the bottle, allowing the aged vintage to breath for a few moments before he poured a small taster into Alfred’s glass. The English gentlemen acknowledged the propriety of the process and swirled the liquid before tasting it. He nodded his approval and Bruce smirked as he poured a half of glass for them.

Bruce watched Selina in amusement as she set the tea next to his plate. His knowing look caused a satisfied smirk to appear on her lips, “I am tired of watching you waste good liquor, Wayne. You barely even taste what’s poured you.”

Bruce smiled and nodded, “I’m not a drinking man, Selina. It dulls me. I prefer to keep my wits about me.”

Selina smiled and returned for her own plate, as she took her seat both men rose, Selina couldn’t help the smile that accompanied their actions. “Such fine manners to be had in the Pennyworth household.”

Alfred acknowledged her with a lift of his glass, “But of course. “

“Here’s to dulling our senses, Sir Alfred.” Selina toasted the English gentleman. Selina gave Bruce a sheepish smile, “Too bad you don’t get the luxury, Bruce. Dulled senses might help my cooking go down easier.” She glanced back at Alfred and winked.

Alfred was aware of her nervousness and he was prepared to stomach his way through whatever she had prepared for them. It had been kind of her to offer to cook and truth be told he was grateful for a break. He had been going since nearly 4 am and was hitting his limit. He forked a bite of the tender pepper into his mouth and was taken aback by the smoky undercurrent of flavor. He furrowed his brow and gathered another bite that included the quinoa stuffing. He looked up at Selina who was waiting anxiously for his opinion and nodded as he wiped his lips with a cloth napkin, “Exceptional.”

Selina watched him closely for any sign that he was just placating her. He took another bite and she could tell he was trying to break down the various spices and seasonings she had used. Satisfied that she had impressed the unimpressable, Selina focused down at her own plate as she cut up her pepper. Bruce monitored their interaction with contented pride. He took a bite of the pepper and he looked over at Selina nodding his approval. He was about to compliment her on the meal when the lights fluttered indicating there was a guest in the elevator. Bruce stood immediately with a muttered apology as he went to the display board. Blake was en route.

Bruce cast a quick glance over at Selina immediately dreading her response to the intrusion. He wiped his hand on the pocket of his jeans and depressed the call button. “Door is open Blake. We are in the kitchen.”

Blake responded, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He could see through the display that they were at the table and regretted immediately not having called before he came. He had actually tried to phone, but Bruce’s cell was going right to voice mail.

Bruce returned to the table and gave Selina a hesitant smile, “Apologies.”

She shrugged and stood up, “There is plenty.” She placed a hand on Alfred’s shoulder before he could stand, “Relax, Sir Alfred.”

Alfred gave Bruce a look that said he was as mystified by her temperate response as he. Wayne fished for an explanation as he settled back into the padded wood chair, “You sure you don’t mind, Selina? I know Blake isn’t one of your favorite people.”

Selina shrugged, “No, he isn’t, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not one of yours.” Her simple response touched Bruce as he felt she was actually trying to meet him halfway on the kid.

Blake walked hesitantly through the open double doorway that separated the kitchen and nook from the main room. “Sorry to bust in on your meal. I had something I needed to talk to you about, Bruce. It can wait, I mean ‘til after you eat. If you have time then, that is.”

It was apparent that Blake was not traveling alone when a large black dog pushed past him and pulled the leash from his hand as he trotted over to Selina. Alfred nearly came undone at an animal in his kitchen, but when Selina took the dog in stride he had to as well. It was, in fact, Selina’s kitchen tonight. “Hey mutt. I would have thought you would have bailed out on this square by now.” The dog’s stumpy tail did its best impression of a wag as he dropped submissively on his back as Selina spoke to him. The invitation to rub his stomach again went unaccepted as Selina continued to refused the dog any greater attention than her words. 

She finally acknowledged the uninvited human guest, “Blake.” He nodded a greeting back at her and Bruce rolled his eyes. Selina sat a plate of food down in front of the empty chair by Bruce and followed it with silverware wrapped in a cream cloth napkin. “Tea or wine?” She asked Blake directly.

Blake stammered and then realized he was not only being invited in while they dined, but was being expected to eat with them. “Ah, tea. I guess.”

Selina returned to the kitchen with the dog in tow. She paused at the freezer and called out a question much as she had for the wine, “Which ones are they?”

“Freezer side, bottom shelf wrapped in clear plastic,” Alfred answered back not needing further clarification on what she was searching for or to whom she was addressing her question. Selina hovered down there for a moment before calling out a thank you to the English gentleman that had Bruce’s life so well-organized. Alfred nodded as he sipped from his wine glass. Blake dropped down into the chair and looked at the plate of food gratefully. He had his fork in hand and had taken three large bites before his tea arrived to the table.

Bruce looked away from Selina over to Blake and concern tinted is face as he watched Blake hunched over his plate, “You doing alright Blake?” Blake nodded and cut off another large section of pepper, piling the stuffing mixture on top before he wolfed the bite down. Alfred’s brow furrowed as his concern for the young man grew as well.

Selina walked from the room with Ace prancing happily after her. When she returned Blake had already decimated two peppers and most of the vegetables on his plate. She passed by the table and paused to refresh Alfred’s wine. He and Bruce had barely touched their plates electing to wait for her return. Her cool eyes flicked over Blake and the corner of her mouth twitched down before she strolled over to the kitchen island. She gathered up a plate of rolls that she had neglected to bring to the table earlier and walked them over along with the remaining two peppers. She placed the plates down in front of the younger man. He took two of the rolls immediately.

Selina took her seat and glanced over at Alfred before she picked up her own glass of wine. He nodded and raised his glass slightly to her. Her lips lifted in a small smile at the unspoken approval of the older man. Bruce gave her a wink when she looked over at him as he gestured down at his own plate, “It’s delicious, Selina. Thank you.” She gave him a small smile and focused down at her plate.

Blake cleared his throat, “It’s very good. I appreciate you letting me join you.”

Selina looked over at him and nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence that Alfred broke for the sake of propriety. “I normally don’t encourage business talk at the dinner table but in lieu of an alternative of complete silence I will be forced to engage in the subject myself. Mr. Blake, I was informed that you had quite a good showing against Dr. Crane.”

Blake wiped his face with a napkin and was helpless not to beam at Alfred’s recognition. “Bruce is exaggerating. I was just trying to doing my part.”

Alfred held back a satisfied smile as he sipped his wine, “Actually it was the missus that was recounting your adventure. I know from experience that she is not a woman that lends herself to exaggeration, so that must mean you had quite a night.”

“Oh, well…I guess so. I mean, thanks.” Blake looked shocked by the source of the kind words, his eyes immediately dropped down to his plate as he came up short on a response. _We had kicked some serious ass together, but I never thought she would admit that I was worth a damn._

Selina smirked at the obvious discomfort of the young man. Bruce stepped in and saved him, “You said you had something you needed to talk to me about?”

Blake nodded, “Yes, it’s about the orphanage, St. Swithins. They are running out of supplies. Their last two Red Cross shipments were hijacked. As of today the pantries are completely empty. They are existing now solely on donations from the community. Military MREs were all the kids had tonight. There weren’t even enough of those to go around.” Blake looked guiltily down at his plate and pushed back from the table, “I was there since early this morning helping mobilize the relief effort.” He looked at Bruce and seemed embarrassed, “With these storm cells moving in...well that is adding another degree of difficulty to everything. I didn’t know if there might be something you maybe could do to help.”

Bruce nodded and gestured down to the young man’s plate, “Eat up Blake. I will make a few calls.” Bruce stood and accepted the cell phone that had materialized in Alfred’s hand. He looked at Selina ready to apologize again, but she seemed unconcerned with the entire affair and dismissed him with a wave of her empty fork.

Alfred and Selina shared looks of tolerance, both understanding the hard wiring in Bruce that demanded he act as savior to the people of Gotham. They just continued on with their dinner watching as Blake polished off three more rolls and the remainder of the peppers. His manners returned to him after his appetite was satiated and he insisted on clearing and doing the dishes.

x

“Off dish detail twice in one week, “Alfred stated in contentment as he and Selina both took a seat on the couch.

She smiled as she watched the large black dog gnawing enthusiastically on the enormous beef bone Alfred had procured for him. Selina folded her legs under herself as she listened to the dog’s powerful jaws grinding, “That is one happy mutt, Mr. Pennyworth.”

Alfred nodded as he looked at the large black dog resting comfortably atop Selina’s leather motorcycle jacket. “He was rescued from a cruel and certain death and now he is mended and feasting like a king beside a warm fire. He must fancy himself Rin Tin Tin.” Selina tossed back her head and laughed, the dog looked up, seemingly sensing that he was the source of the outburst. He looked between the two humans expectantly waiting for them to address him, when they didn’t he returned with gusto to the bone between his paws.

Selina dropped her head on Alfred’s shoulder, “Hungry and out in the cold is no place for man or beast.”

Alfred nodded his agreement. “Are you concerned about the children then, Ms. Kyle?”

Selina nodded and looked over her shoulder for Bruce, “Do you think he can do anything for them, Alfred?”

He patted her leg, “If they haven’t already had a visit from the Red Cross, the Wayne Enterprise chopper will be likely be landing on the front lawn of their facility momentarily.”

Selina smiled at Alfred, as she looked out the windows at the wintry mix of sleet and snow blanketing the city, “You are pretty confident in his capabilities, Mr. Pennyworth.” Her voice held trepidation as she looked at the severity of the storm, the large white flakes falling fast and thick.

Alfred laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “I am at that, Ms. Kyle. Bruce has a well established stubborn streak where causes like this are concerned.”

Blake was standing at the doorway listening before shuffling into the room, “Hey thanks again, Alfred…Sel- ‘er... Ms. Kyle. I appreciate dinner. It was…very good...great actually. I hadn’t eaten in… awhile.”

Alfred gestured to the seat across from them, “Rest yourself, Mr. Blake.”

He shifted from foot to foot as he peered out the huge wall of windows at the snow steadily falling. “I really should get going, the roads were already getting bad as I was driving over.”

Bruce appeared, stalking quickly across the room phone still in hand, he covered the mouthpiece with his palm speaking to Blake directly, “The police have issued a white out for the city. Main and 127 are closed, emergency vehicles only.”

Blake dropped his head, “So there will be no way to get anything to them. If we get hit as hard as the news is predicting it may be days before the city gets dug out of this.”

Bruce shook his head, “Don’t believe everything you hear on the TV Blake. Besides you didn’t come here and ask me for help because you thought I _wouldn’t_ be able to get the job done.” Bruce’s attention snapped back to the phone, “I would prefer within the next hour. Yes. Given the conditions…five minimum. Fuel as well. Yes.” He pulled the phone away from his cheek and checked the clock on the display. “Sounds good, Gill. I will be waiting for your confirmation. Call back on this number, yeah? Thanks again. Yes, tell Ruth I am good for a case.” He paused and a smile broke across his face, “Yes, the Cuban’s too.”

Bruce ended the call and handed Alfred back his satellite phone. He addressed Blake, “There will be a delivery tonight of hot meals along with water and canned food enough for five days, fresh produce and meat for three. FEMA will be setting up a new distribution point in the quad of the old University a few blocks down from St. Swithins as soon as these storm cells pass through.” He nodded at Blake, “That will mean the military will have to keep support in the immediate area twenty-four seven until everything in Gotham gets back on track.”

Blake swallowed and blinked in complete shock, “Uh wow. That’s…great, Bruce. Really, thank you. I’m sorry to have put all this on you, but I didn’t know where else to go for help.”

Bruce nodded, “I’m glad you came. I would have never forgiven myself if I had found out those kids were struggling without supplies in a storm like this.” Bruce walked around the sofa and glanced down at the dog lying in front of the fireplace chomping away happily on his bone and he smirked at Selina. She shrugged and smiled innocently up at him.  _Little girl, you have everyone fooled by that tough guy act of yours, but I know that hard little heart of yours is softening..._ He continued on with a small knowing smile curving his lips, “The crew is bringing generators and space heaters too. I wasn’t positive that the facility had enough to go around.”

Selina blinked up at him, “If conditions are as bad as you say, how can you be sure that your people can make it up there?”

Bruce tried to sound disappointed that she would doubt his capabilities, but instead only managed to sound smug, “There isn’t much that could stop what they are coming in, Selina.” He waited, letting her mind work to build her interest a bit.

She played along with him, “So you have a tank do you, Mr. Wayne? A blacked out A1 Abrahams perhaps?”

He grinned down at her, “Damn close. A Snowcat...and it isn’t black, it’s arctic camo.” He didn’t explain the vehicle, instead he waited to see if Selina knew what they were. She didn’t disappoint him.

Selina nodded her head knowingly, seemingly impressed to find out about the latest vehicle in his collection. Snowcats were the civilian equivalent of tanks. They were designed primarily for polar expeditions made to run on aluminum tracks and were largely unstoppable by any measure of weather. She shook her head, “How is it you have access to a Snowcat, Bruce?”

He again he shook his head in mock disappointment at her underestimation, “I’m a billionaire, Selina. I own _three_ of everything.” Selina rolled her eyes at that, but then she laughed, looking up at him in open admiration.

Blake could tell that despite the humor, Bruce had impressed her and that was no easy trick as far as he could tell. Alfred was used to the money and stroke that Wayne commanded, but Selina was clearly still taken back by it. Blake could almost feel the awe that accompanied the realization that Wayne wasn’t kidding about having three of everything at his fingertips. To tell the truth Blake was feeling in awe of Wayne himself right now.

Bruce glanced over at the young man, “I am having them check on the kids at the manor as well. The lines are down and I want to make sure they are equipped to make it through. The house has its own generator and buried gas tanks so power shouldn’t be an issue. Hopefully they are stocked enough with supplies to wait this out, but if not the team will see to them as well.”

Blake nodded, “How can I help? What can I do?”

Bruce sat down next to Selina and gathered her hand in his as he relaxed back into the cushion, “You already did it, Blake. Thanks to you those kids will be fed and heaters will be keeping them warm tonight.” Bruce gestured to the empty chair, “You might as well make yourself comfortable. There is no way that Mustang of yours is going to make it through this. The storm has dumped five inches of snow in the last two hours, and it’s all accumulating over half a day’s worth of sleet and ice. “

Blake looked at Alfred and the old gentleman pointed at the chair as well, “Your room is where you left it, Mr. Blake. The dishes for your pet are there as well. Rules still apply, no dogs on the furniture.”

 _My room._ Blake blinked at that and slipped silently down to the leather chair. He looked around the penthouse and smiled at the Christmas decorations, “The place looks great. With all that’s going on I had nearly forgotten all about the holiday.”

Bruce nodded as he accepted the compliment on behalf of Alfred, “Gordon and Meghan are spending Christmas Eve with us, Fox and yourself as well if you would like. “ He made the offer before thinking if Selina would be a go for that idea. He avoided looking over at her, not inviting a reaction that might make Blake feel unwelcome after having already been given an invitation.

He felt her squeeze his hand gently, “Do you think Gordon will be able to make it tomorrow? I wouldn’t want him driving in this...risking an accident with Meghan.” Selina seemed torn; concerned that they wouldn’t be able to make it and more concerned that he might try.

Bruce looked down at her indulgently, “I will send someone to collect them.”

Selina gave him a hesitant smile, “Gil?”

Bruce squeezed her hand reassuringly, “If need be. I promised you and Meghan that the two of you would spend Christmas Eve together. I’m not in the habit of breaking my promises, especially not promises I’ve made to the women in my life.” Selina rolled her eyes, but Blake saw what that it meant to her. Bruce kissed the back of her hand and he kept his eyes watchful on her until he saw her visibly relax and then he turned back to address him, “What about it Blake? Are you and Ace up for Christmas Eve here with us?”

Blake followed Bruce’s gaze down to the dog. _Ace?_ He had actually been calling him Titus, but when Bruce said Ace the dog had lifted his head and looked right at Wayne. Blake smiled down at the dog _. Ace it is then_. Blake looked back at Bruce and shrugged, “It doesn’t look like he minds being on the guest list.”

“What about you, Mr. Blake?” Alfred asked with humor in his voice, “Have you any other more pressing _engagements_ for Christmas Eve?” Blake caught the look Wayne gave Alfred and he blinked in confusion. He faltered for a moment, not understanding the nonverbal communication passing between the two men.

Finally he just shook his head that he didn’t have plans. Blake looked down and fiddled with the black nylon leash in his hands, if he was going to be honest he was struggling with all of his future plans at this particular moment. _I have no job, rent is due and I maxed out my only credit card on a dog that I didn’t even get to name. Hell, I haven’t even eaten except for what I’ve had here the past few days. There isn’t a scrap of food in my apartment that’s not canine related. I am going to have to find a paying job soon or I will have to face Bruce and explain why I am delinquent on rent. Being Batman was only a full time job for men like Bruce Wayne, I need a paying gig on the side...and I need it quick._

Selina watched him trying to read through the front she was seeing on Blake’s face. Her head cocked and her mind started working and she knew that she had found a new puzzle to unravel…. _what’s going on, Baby Bats…something just isn’t quite right…Something…something…_

Alfred gestured out the window and sighed, “There goes the power.”

They all looked out the window and watched as the power grids failed one by one and the blackout rolled across Gotham. It moved toward them block by block dropping the city into darkness. They were running with minimal lighting in the penthouse already so when it hit them the only change was the ambient Christmas lighting and the session of the heater. The fireplace kept them from plunging into complete darkness for the ten seconds it took the generator to turn over.

Alfred was handing over his phone again without prompting and Bruce accepted it wordlessly and dialed down to the guard desk. As he was making the call, Alfred activated the television. Blake watched what he assumed was a priceless painting slide into the ceiling, replaced by a ninety inch LED television that powered on over the massive stone fireplace. _It must be good to be Bruce Wayne. Hell, it was good just to be guy that knew Bruce Wayne tonight. Every kid at St. Swithins was going to bed warm and with a full belly thanks to Wayne. Not to mention the ones at Tom and Martha’s. Hell I hadn’t even thought of them..._ Blake looked at Ace and shook his head. _Bruce Wayne was the real deal._

Alfred split the screen between the security cameras and the local news. The news showed the battered city of Gotham hunkering down against the hostile weather conditions, the streets were empty save for a few stranded vehicles.

Blake could tell by the conversation that Bruce was having that he was talking to the men at the lobby desk. They were locking down the building; heavy gates were dropping over the entrances to the parking garage. It became very obvious why this building was one that survived the occupation as Blake watched the surveillance cameras of the desk guards visiting a weapons locker.

Selina hadn’t missed that either and looked over at Alfred, “For a guy that doesn’t like guns this is a surprising escalation of force to combat a black out. “

Alfred patted her knee, “Tasers and shotguns with beanbag rounds, teargas and riot control batons. Non-lethal force only, Ms. Kyle...by order of Mr. Wayne himself.”

Selina snorted a small laugh at that, “At least he practices what he preaches.”

Blake walked over to the window, and looked back at Selina, “You see that?”

She joined him at the glass and followed his gaze, the bat signal glowed on the horizon, the grey clouds that were low over the city gave it an even more ominous appearance. “Looks like someone is getting paged into work tonight,” Selina grumbled as she glanced over her shoulder.

Bruce appeared beside her. His thumb punched end on the cell display and then he responded to the other call on the horizon, “That figures.”

_x_

_xxEdits by Cheedxx_

_xxx_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

x

Selina straightened the hem on her dress absently as she walked through the bathroom into the master closet. She had chosen this outfit out of her original wardrobe rather than from the more expensive dresses Wayne had purchased for her in France. It wasn’t a designer brand, but it was a one of a kind original. She could attest to that fact because she had commissioned the construction of it herself. The woman that had cut measured and sewn it had done so from a drawing and fabric that Selina brought to her shop in the narrows and the final product had been worth every penny Selina had paid for it. Seven hundred dollars well spent. The dress had made her feel and look like a Gotham socialite and it had garnered her entrance to one of the swankiest parties of the year. Her haul that night alone had been over seventy-eight thousand in money and jewels.

Her seven hundred dollars had purchased her an elegant, sleeveless A-line dress that covered more than it showed, which was not always the case for Selina Kyle’s party dresses. It had an understated sexiness that was brought out by the fitted nature of the waist and the thin ribbon straps over the shoulders. The deep rich color of the burgundy taffeta was accented with dark velvety black floral embroidery. It was cut with a modest straight line across the bust and a small seductive bow in the back where the delicate straps tied together.

Bruce watched her glide into the large closet they now shared as he fastened his trousers and slipped the thin black leather belt through the fabric loops at his waist. If you had asked Bruce his opinion on the dress he would have argued that it was the smoldering sexuality of the woman sporting the garment that made the outfit. The aforementioned woman was intent in her purpose now, so much so she had not even taken notice of him as he stood among the endless racks of suits and ties; she was searching through her modest shoe collection as he stood quietly by, taken in by this budding domestic connection he now shared with her.

Bruce had never shared his living space with anyone but Alfred. To have the faint scent of perfume find him as he walked into his bathroom, to see makeup and jewelry laying across the once empty hers vanity, the purple robe branded with his initials, but already earmarked as hers in his mind draped over the end of his bed all filled him with a warmth and contentment that he would have found it impossible to verbalize. It was a connection that he hadn’t ever felt before. He had seen it when he watched his parents together; the casual intimacies shared between a man and a woman...a husband and a wife. Intimacies that he now craved with her. He felt Selina filling the deep well that he had in his heart with moments like these. These simple unintended connections that were binding them closer together.

She found what she was searching for and when she straightened she finally noticed him and her red lips curled in a seductive smile. She walked toward him, her eyes locked on his as she approached. He let out an appreciative whistle and she gave a twirl letting him see the full effect of the dress as it flared from her thighs, “Too risqué for a Christmas party at the Wayne house?”

Bruce winced, “This is hardly the _‘Wayne house’_ and you look captivating my dear. That little bow in back must mean you are my present...makes me want to unwrap you right now.”

She smirked, confirming in his mind that she was up for a private gift exchange as well. Bruce glanced at the shoes that hung from her fingers; they were ferocious and very Selina. A brushed burgundy pump that strapped around the ankle with small black grommets that lined the stitching along the edges. _They would give the outfit an edge, make it sexy and a little dangerous...just like the woman that wore them._ Bruce tried to imagine what she was thinking as she slipped them on. He focused on that secretive smile curving her lips, “Selina...” She looked up at him her head tilted waiting for him to speak, “I love you.”

Selina blinked and slowly straightened, “Where did that come from?” She asked the question as she closed the remaining distance between them, moving gracefully around the cabinet island so now nothing separated them. He shook his head and drank in the sight of her sexy strut. _The higher the heel the more dangerous her walk. At three inches she is already an unstoppable force, at four the Navy was scrambling jet fighters. This woman of mine..._ He blew out a breath and adjusted himself as he fought the losing the battle against his libido.

Bruce waited until she reached him to speak, the light fragrance of her perfume that he had discovered earlier filled his nose again and his body gave in and the blood ran south into his groin, “I just want you to know how I feel about you. It doesn’t take capes and criminals or nights of passion for me to tell you. I am overcome by how I feel every time I look at you. I am deeply and completely in love with you, Selina.”

She slipped her arms around his neck and stood looking into his eyes, “I feel the same for you, Bruce. I’m just shit at expressing it.” Her eyes glittered as she acknowledged her own flaws with the very words he had spoken to her.

Bruce pulled her tighter against him letting her feel what she had done to him as he drew a breath through the soft fall of her hair. “I like that you’re no good at saying it, Selina. It means you really meant it when you finally did tell me.” He kissed her temple lightly, “It was worth the wait to hear you say it.” His lips brushed her ear as his warm breath against her cheek brought a soft sigh from her red lips, “You make me a happy man, Selina.”

She leaned into him as her fingers threaded through his dark hair, “I’m glad, Bruce. You deserve it. You do so much for everyone else, you deserve to be happy.”

Their lips met in a sweet soft kiss. The lights flickered in the room and Bruce slid open his eyes and released her grudgingly, “Our guests are arriving.” He murmured the words against Selina’s lips as he ran his thumb along her jaw.

Selina nuzzled against his cheek, “Thank you for tonight, Bruce. I’ve never had a Christmas. Not a real one...like this...”

Bruce kissed her brow, “Thank you for giving me a reason to celebrate it again, kitten.”

There was a light rap on the door of the bedroom and there was no question as to who it was. “Come in, Alfred,” Bruce called out the invitation and followed it with a soft smile for the woman in his arms. She smiled back in anticipation of the arrival of his butler. Selina’s adoration for Alfred was growing at an exponential rate as was his for her.

Alfred appeared a few moments later at the closet door and looked at them with fatherly approval, “Mr. Fox has arrived.”

Bruce let his hand drop from Selina’s face as he turned to address his dapper old friend, “Thank you, Alfred. Let Fox know we will be out momentarily.”

Alfred smiled and nodded, “Very good sir. “ He paused, I know I have said it before, but I must reiterate; yourself and the missus do complement each other quite nicely.”

Selina smiled and gave Alfred a wink, “Is that your way of saying we clean up nice?”

Alfred bowed, “That you do. Exceedingly well in your case, Ms. Kyle.” He paused and smiled, “Not that you didn’t look top-notch last night in your Catlady suit my dear.”

Selina grinned thinking about Alfred’s reception of her work wear the night before. They had just tied up the loose ends on a group of hijackers that the police had cornered in a standoff near the subway depot and had returned battle weary and victorious to the penthouse where she was able to show off Fox’s design to Alfred. She was sitting on the back of the sofa letting Alfred inspect the heels of her boots as she sipped from a water bottle.

Alfred just shook his head in fascination, tucking his hands into the pockets of his blue flannel robe before directing a question to Bruce as he was walking past, “How do you manage to keep your mind on the criminals with the misses prowling about wearing no more than this?” Alfred gestured to her sexy ensemble and smiled knowingly at the master of the house.

Bruce was fresh from a quick shower in the safe room where he and Blake had changed and was wrapped at the waist in a dark navy towel, another smaller white gym towel was draped over his shoulders capturing the moisture from his hair. “Lucky for me she _is_ a criminal, Alfred. I get to think about her all the time and not feel like I am shirking my duties.” Bruce had closely assessed Selina’s response to his chiding, not wanting her to take the innocent jab to heart.

She acknowledged his humor with a velvety laugh as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, and stood up from the couch, “Good thing for _Master Wayne_ I chose to lay-up and be a good girl, Alfred...If I had a mind to return to a life of crime he’d never be able to handle me.”

Bruce snorted a laugh, “Keep telling yourself that darling.” He gave her a look that said she should try him if she felt lucky.

Alfred continued on, ignoring the two as they bantered. “I must say Fox has outdone himself if he was able to armor a fabric that is so thin. It doesn’t seem possible. It would behoove you not to get overzealous and challenge the design, Ms. Kyle.” He gestured to the gloves, “I hope you are using care with those as well. I would hate to see you get carried away and scratch up a certain young man.”

Bruce shook his head, “Not to worry, Alfred. Selina and Blake seem to be warming up to each other. Isn’t that right, Selina?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she picked up on jab. _He might be teasing me, but he was the one it was really bothering. Seeing Blake and I working together had gotten under his skin...made him a little jealous even._ Selina gave him a cocky grin as she dropped a gloved hand seductively to her hip, “We are warming up _nicely_ to one another, Bruce.”

Alfred chuckled, “It wasn’t Blake that I anticipated to be the most likely candidate for her to sharpen them on, Master Wayne.”

Bruce gave Alfred a withering stare as he plucked the water bottle from Selina’s hands. He took several long pulls off of it before recapping it and tossing it back to her. He threw it high. As Selina reached up to catch the bottle, Bruce ducked down and hooked her thighs hefting her swiftly over his shoulder before catching the plastic bottle deftly with his free hand.

“Bruce! What the hell?” Selina tried to sound indignant, as she demanded he put her down, but the amusement was obvious in her voice.

“I always get my man, Selina. Even when she is a woman,” He taunted her with his crime fighting prowess as he carried her back to their bedroom.

Selina laughed and kicked in a half-hearted attempt to escape him. Bruce gave her a resounding smack on her rear as he called out an order to his amused butler, “Alfred, keep the first aid supplies at the ready, just in case she gets carried away.” Alfred’s laughter followed them down the hall.

Bruce had carried her into the bedroom as she twisted in his arms and then she was all greedy hands and needy lips on his damp skin. He cradled her head and dropped them hard onto the mattress. He used his weight to pin her but she leveraged him off spinning them until she settled on top.

Bruce smiled as he tried to grab the front of her uniform and fell victim of her expert redirection of motion. She clasped his wrists and he let her push them over his head. He groaned in frustration as he gave into the handling it was clear she wanted to give him. When you’re naked, but for the grace of a towel and you had a fully clothed Catwoman perched on your chest even Batman knew it was time to just let the lady have her way.

She slid her hands into the neck of her uniform forcing the seals apart. The fabric released, sliding open to her waist, exposing a ribbon of skin between the armored fabrics. His hands flexed as he imagined holding the heavy weight of her breasts in his palms. She gave him a warning look, “Don’t make me tie you down, Bats…”

Bruce felt his cock throb and by her sudden intake of breath it was obvious that she had them both considering how much fun that actually might be. She grinned wickedly down at him as she popped her claws. She slid the curved blades along the fabric of her black lace bra and Bruce wet his lips in anticipation of what she was about to display to him. _There was no sports bra tonight...she must have known...she must have been anticipating this… Fuck, I hope she doesn’t draw this out too far; Alfred might really need that stitch kit._

She slid the steel blades along the lace fabric and he was again at odds with her dangerous felinity. She had the sexy grace and allure of a jungle cat and all of its deadly power to boot. The fabric opened further at the insistence of her gloved hands and his breath caught in his throat as the claws hooked the delicate lace and she ripped it cleanly in two. As the lace gave way Bruce growled out, “My god Selina...you are so damn sexy.”

Selina sat back on his thighs grinning down at him as her eyes drank in the sight of him panting for her, arms gripping the sheets as his biceps flexed. He ground his jaw as she widened the gap in her uniform and exposed her breasts completely to him. The sharp edges of her claws passed over her skin and his breath hitched as he bid her to use care. He could see the indentations the blades left in the soft flesh of her breasts, the white lines that filled with pink as she pulled them over herself. Any harder and it would have opened her skin. “Easy kitten…”

“Fuck easy,” came her reply. Selina smiled down at him her eyes tracking down his chest to the dark towel wrapped at his waist. She cocked her head and licked her red lips, “I want what’s mine, Bruce.”

His face was dark with desire, “Take it.”

Selina’s lips curled into a devious smile, “No holding back this time, handsome. I want all of you tonight.”

Bruce shut his eyes as he felt the towel drop open and then the cool air that touched his skin was quickly replaced by warm humid pants from her mouth. _Mercy..._ He felt the scrape of her nails over his chest, but that was nothing compared to the alien feel of her leather-clad hand when they surrounding his shaft. His mind tried to reconcile itself with the sensation, but his brain was short-circuiting, neurons firing wildly as it tried to process the erotic sensations.

She jacked him firmly at the root with one hand as she rolled his sack gently with the other. He could feel her mouth brushing the sensitive head as she worked him in her hands. His eyes rolled in pleasure as he tried to give himself over and he found himself locked in the familiar internal struggle. _Fuck, why is this so hard for me. It isn’t about control...not really.._.his mind lost the thought as her tongue traced up the underside of his shaft; he realized the pulse pounding in his throat matched the aching throb in his loins. Then he heard her voice like a soft velvety purr. “Mummm...The things I want to do to you Bruce Wayne...”

He looked down at her and she was smiling up at him her eyes veiled behind the mask. _Damn I’ve thought of having her like this so many times_. _The Cat taking me like this..._ His hips bucked forward involuntarily and he fought to control himself, biting back an apology. Selina shook her head in disapproval as she kissed his sex reverently while she continued to knead him, “Let yourself go...let me know how this makes you feel, Bruce.” She licked him, swirling her tongue around the purpling crown of his penis, “Don’t hold back on me.” She sucked the tip of him and he groaned. When her moist tongue swept over him again Selina tasted the fruit of her labor in the pre-ejaculate that seeped from him. She hummed happily as she delved her tongue deeper, capturing all of his essence.

He groaned and his hands clenched again into fists, bunching the bed sheets in his palms as they flexed uncontrollably. He was torn between the extremes of rapture and restraint as he struggled with himself. It felt so good, he wanted to just give in and take his pleasure from her, but his conscious demanded he not objectify her. _I will be damned if I use her. I won’t be one of the fucking men that take from her and leave her feeling hollow and used._ He moaned out as she sucked him harder, trembling from the effort it took to control himself and he rasped out her name in desperation. He felt cold claws sharp against his skin of his stomach and his eyes snapped open and he looked down at her, “Give me what I want, Wayne. I don’t hold back on you. Show me what you need.”

Bruce swallowed hard and then she felt his hand in her hair and heard his hoarse command, “Suck me, please. I need you to suck me hard.”

She was on him again and Bruce thrust hesitantly into her mouth, he was rewarded with a moan of approval that had him shuddering in relief. He pulsed again as he guided her and she willingly accommodated his rhythm. Her tongue was everywhere, wrapping around him, soothing him, teasing him as she brought him closer to completion. He became aware that he had nearly a constant growl of pleasure emanating from his throat that he was powerless to stop. He thrust deeper into her, feeling himself in the back of her throat and she took him without complaint. His hips rolled as he grasped her hair firmly in his fist. The sight of her sucking him off was undoing him. The glistening red of her lips as he slid into her mouth had him begging for her to take more of him. “Please baby, please don’t stop. Do it just like that. You are so good to me kitten...so good.”

Even though he knew she must straining to take a man of his size this way he couldn’t stop pushing deeper, the relief at finally letting the tension he held in his back loose and thrust while she pleasured him was taking him higher faster than he had ever been, “Fuck Selina, I’ve got to,” he warned her as he tensed ready to withdraw. She held him steady and when he felt the sharp bite of steel on his hip he finally surrendered to her ministrations. His body strained with the force of his orgasm as he finally let her take him all the way.

The magnitude of it was such that he had to force himself not to just drop back on the bed and loose himself in it. Instead he locked his eyes on her watching her swallowing him, drinking him down as his body released again and again. His brain fogged as he looked at himself sheathed in her mouth, the feel of her leather gloved hand wrapped at the base of his cock still stroking him, her red lips wet from his climax as they slid against him demanding he give everything.

He panted her name as he emptied himself into her and he watched her finish him, licking him clean. When Selina finally lifted her eyes to him she smiled in satisfaction as she wiped the moisture from her chin with the back of a gloved hand. Bruce’s eyes were wild and his breathing erratic as he stared back at her. She understood that this had been a struggle for him, that they had finally pushed past a hang-up that he had from the very beginning. She watched as his hand reached for her and he tenderly brushed his thumb over her lips. She captured his wrist with her clawed hand and licked his thumb, sucking it gently clean before she gave a small nip to the pad, her eyes never left his while she did it.

Bruce looked as if he were ready to combust. Selina smiled and shook her head as she released him, “We will be doing that again soon, Mr. Wayne.” She nodded as if confirming it to herself as well. “I must say I rather enjoyed making a meal of you.” She licked her red lips and smiled down at him seductively, “Why don’t you catch your second wind while I shed this suit.” She slipped off the bed and he watched her walk across the room. The sway of her hips in that skin-tight suit had him nearly hard again before she even made it to the bathroom door. He heard the shower cut on and when he rounded the corner she was slipping the suit over her dangerous hips and was sliding it down her thighs. She was still wearing the mask and Bruce walked over to her and slipped it off her face. “My God, Selina...That was...intense.”

She grinned at him and dropped her eyes; “I could say that about every time you’ve put your mouth on me.” She blushed a little at the admission, “I’m glad you finally let me return the favor.”

Bruce blew out a breath, “You are a treasure, Selina. A gift.” He wrapped her in his arms. “I want you to know that kitten.”

Selina smiled and kissed his throat, “You make me feel that way, Bruce. You always have." She realized then that he was trying to reassure her. She traced the line of his abdominals with the light touch of her gloveless finger and whispered, “That was as much for me as it was for you, Wayne. I want to know you get pleasure from me; I wanted to know how it felt to have you that way. I needed it.”

Bruce nodded because he understood exactly how she felt. He wanted to eclipse every other man from her memory. He wanted to own her sexually... He wanted her thoughts only of him, only of the passion they shared together. He pressed himself against her and let his hands run over her body, exhaling out a gasp that seemed nearly painful as his hands found her sex. He slipped a finger inside and found her dripping for him, “You are so wet Selina.” He shook his head marveling at the discovery, “Getting me off turned you on.”

Selina blushed and squirmed as he pushed another finger inside her. _She lost some of her bravado...she has nothing to hide behind now...she is exposed without her armor...without the mask._ Bruce admonished himself for embarrassing her, “I love that it turned you on...” He kissed her as he lifted her onto the sink and pushed himself against her entrance. “Sometimes it’s all I have not to come while I’m tasting you, Selina. Your scent, the sounds you make, the look in your eyes when you come undone for me.” His eyes burned as he pushed against her, “You taking me like that Selina, that was the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced.” His breath rasped, “I have to have you again. “

As he ground out the words all she could hear was the voice of the Batman, “I need to take you Selina.. Hard...So hard…” His warning came as she felt his teeth at her throat and his heavy hand gripping her hair. He pulled her body into his and carried her back to their bed, “Stop me, kitten, if it’s gets to be too much.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and braced her hands on his broad shoulders, “Take me how you want me, handsome” Selina looked at him with that sexy dangerous smile of hers and he swore in relief as she gave herself to him and Bruce claimed her like his body demanded he should.

x

Selina smiled now as she looked at Bruce clasping the last black onyx cufflink into place. The hard line of his jaw...the exact lay of his hair... It hurt her heart to look at him sometimes he was so beautiful...so perfect. She thought for a moment about how Blake must feel following in his footsteps...trying to be him and she felt honestly sorry for the guy. Blake was struggling with just about everything right now. She smirked as she remembered him this morning with Alfred. He was hem-hawing around and finally Alfred had turned to the young man and demanded, “Out with it Mr. Blake.”

Blake had stood lockjawed for a moment before muttering out that he had nothing to wear for the evening and Bruce said he should ask him for help.. Alfred waved him on to the master bedroom and into the enormous closet. The old butler went straight to a far corner and started pulling out suits and laying them out across the dressing chair. He settled on a navy pinstripe and presented it to Blake for his approval as he explained his selections, “These are from Master Wayne’s slimmer years. Although he has been off his feed so much recently he likely will be wearing them again soon.” Alfred gave Selina a look that said they both knew her disappearing act was the reason.

Selina ignored the accusation and pointed to another one hanging on the rack, “What about that one?”

Blake liked it the moment Alfred pulled it from the wall. It was a three-piece grey tweed. Selina smiled and held it up to him, “Forget the jacket and just wear the vest. Maybe a light blue shirt under...” She looked at Alfred and Blake was aware that his opinion no longer held much weight. He blushed a little, not used to the handling he was receiving.

Alfred walked over to the vast array of shirts hanging on a spiraled rack and flipped through some as he mumbled, “A four-button vest has a vintage look. We need a shirt with a short wide collar to make it work.” He glanced up at Blake, “Find a tie would you, Mr. Blake? Perhaps a skinnier variety to bring the look home. Not too busy a pattern if you don’t mind.”

Blake nodded and handed the vest back to Selina trying not to meet her eye as he went off to select the tie. He perused through the endless selections and finally settled on a dark polka-dotted skinny tie. Selina nodded her approval as he brought it over. Alfred brought his find and they all combined them and unanimously decided it was an outstanding combination. Blake obligingly changed in to the outfit and Alfred pinned it for a quick alteration.

Later after the clothes were taken up she found Blake and Alfred putting the look together in the study. She was wrapped fresh from a shower in the now familiar purple robe and she looked critically at the final product, “I don’t know, Alfred. It is missing something...”

Blake braced himself for what her comments might be, surprised he wasn’t more anxious over her critique. Alfred smiled at his accomplice, “Do tell, Ms. Kyle. What is it I have overlooked? “

Selina tapped her lip as she stalked a circle around Blake. She straighten his tie absently as she looked over at Alfred, “What shoes and belt have you chosen?”

Alfred showed her the two different selections that he had narrowed it to—patent leather Oxford and stainless buckle and black belt or a flat black Michael Korus slip and black belt with a brushed nickel buckle. Selina met Blake’s eyes and for one rare time he held her gaze, “Well Robin, which do you prefer?”

He tried to hide a smile, “If I tell you, Katniss, you will just choose the opposite.”

Selina shrugged and smirked at him, “Maybe. Or maybe we agree this time. Which did you chose?”

Blake pointed to the set with the patent leathers and when he did he felt something shift on his arm. He looked down and saw a watch encircling his wrist; a watch that he had never seen before in his life. Selina wiggled her eyebrows at him and smirked, “Think of this before you ever again refer to me as _a common thief_. “

Blake looked at her in disbelief as he adjusted the expensive looking timepiece on his wrist, “You are pretty good, Ms. Kyle, I have to give it to you, “

She snorted a laugh and turned to leave. Blake smoothed down his tie and his hand brushed something hard. He looked down to find a silver tie clip perfectly positioned above the break in his vest. Selina grinned over her shoulder, “Get it right Robin, I am _damn_ good.”

He smiled, his dimples deepening as he called out after her, “Hey, you never said which belt and shoes you liked better.”

Selina called back, “The other ones.”

Alfred rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Blake just gave him a wink, “I liked them best anyways, Alfred.” Alfred clapped him on the back as they shared a laugh and for the first time in a long time Blake felt his anxiety ease.

Alfred finished assisting him and told him to help himself to the catered refreshments while he tended to the master and miss. Blake watched him go and he smiled. It felt good to be cared for...looked after...to be more than just an afterthought. Blake sighed and looked in the mirror and he saw someone he didn’t recognize. He saw someone with potential and possibilities. His hand fondled the expensive Rolex on his wrist and he felt his jaw clench as he thought about Selina. He looked critically at himself and saw a man that was strong enough to admit when he was wrong and more importantly he saw a man that was smart enough that he could learn from other people’s mistakes without condemning them for their experiences.

“Looking good Blake,” Bruce’s voice surprised him and he had to keep from stuttering a greeting. Instead he just nodded and lifted his arms showing off the makeover he had endured at the hands of Alfred and Selina. Bruce was still dressed in his robe, but managed to carry himself in a way that suggested he was wrapped in a king’s tunic. He walked over to Blake and paused at the table, “I wasn’t sure how you would be wearing your shirt, I thought you might need these. He held out a box with two black cuff links both personalized with black diamonds in a customized B & W.

Blake took the box and stared down at them, they looked to be worth more than his car and he exhaled a breath, “Thanks, Bruce. I will get them right back to you after the party.”

Bruce smiled at him patiently as if he had missed the point, “They are a gift, Blake. You don’t have to return them.” He smiled and laid a hand on the younger mans shoulder as he turned one of the links over, “There is more than one way to wear these Blake and have them be personalized, for you...for what you are working to become.”

Blake looked into the box and the ‘W’ gently rocked from the adjustment Bruce had made, turning the letter he had made it into an ‘M’… _B…M…Batman._

_x_

Selina knew why it was hard for Blake; Bruce was a tough act to follow. When you are faced with that much perfection it just made you feel that much more awkward and inept. She was still having a hard time just trying to accept the fact he wanted her... All of her history and baggage she brought with her, she was nothing like the socialites that she imagined being comfortable on his arm. She shook her head at her reflection and removed her earrings in frustration. She looked up and saw Bruce standing behind her; he was looking at her...appraising her, _“_ Having problems deciding kitten?”

She smiled tightly and nodded, “Nothing looks right with this outfit.” She pulled out the studs and laid them on the counter as she looked critically at herself in the mirror trying to decide what it needed. _Fox was waiting and she was hemmed-up by jewelry of all things._

Bruce walked up behind her, running a hand down her board straight hair. It was the first time she had worn it this way in a long while. It made his mind go back to the day she broke into the manor. He brushed it away from her throat and settled his warm palm against her neck. “Can I make a suggestion?”

Selina smiled up at him, “Of course.”

Bruce’s other hand appeared beside her cheek and she heard the click as he released the strand of pearls. Selina blinked and she felt her chest get tight, “You still trust me with those, Bruce?” He was clasping them around her throat before he bothered to answer.

“Frankly, I’m tired of the back and forth, Selina. Let’s make this the last time, shall we?” His words were soft and even but they contained a little bite, enough to make Selina to realize she had hurt him by leaving them behind.

Selina nodded and smoothed the cultured pearls against her skin, “Last time, Bruce,” she promised him as she looked up into his eyes.

He took her hand and pressed something into her palm, “I thought I would get you earrings to match before Mikimtoto’s suffered a break in.”

Selina opened her hand and smiled down at the pearl earrings that decorated her palm, “Buying is boring, Bruce.”

He shook his head at her, “And burglary is...what?” he asked in amusement.

“Burglary is better,” she replied with a smirk.

Bruce shook his head, “I don’t know about that kitten. It doesn’t get better than buying jewelry for you. It’s the giving it to you that is starting to wear on me. I wonder how many times I will have to force those on you until it takes?”

Selina rolled her eyes and snorted, “I get it Wayne. Point made. From now on, all jewelry gifts are non-returnable.”

Bruce smiled and caressed her cheek, “That makes me very happy to hear, Selina. Very happy indeed.”

X

Bruce walked into the front room with Selina on his arm. He had elected not to make this black tie at the behest of the beautiful woman beside him. She had told him that unlike him, not everyone on the planet had a hundred tuxedos just hanging in their closet. Bruce understood immediately that she was considering the Commissioner and Ms. Meghan and he was grateful for her intervention. He was accustomed to dealing with people that were of means and while it was of no consequence to him that someone should attend in lesser dress it hadn’t truly occurred to him how much it might matter to _them._

Bruce hadn’t even donned a jacket, electing instead to wear a dark burgundy threaded button down with a black tie and slacks. Alfred had selected it to compliment Selina’s colors after she had given him her dress to be steamed. Bruce had loved watching Alfred dutifully assisting her in determining what she would wear for the evening. Selina had turned over the garment without a struggle accepting the rich man’s method of steaming wrinkles from garments. She had just brushed by him and returned his smirk mumbling, “If you can’t beat them join them,” under her breath.

Alfred obviously needed no help with his own attire as he had out-dressed them both in a sharply tailored three-piece suit. Black over black with a tie so dark a green that it was nearly black itself.

Fox stood as the two emerged from the master bedroom and he bowed graciously at Selina smiling broadly. “A sight as always, Ms. Kyle.” As Selina stepped into his embrace he gave Bruce a wink and shook his head. “You are a lucky, lucky man Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce nodded and took Fox’s offered hand when he finally relinquished it from hugging Selina. “Truer words were never spoken, Mr. Fox.”

Fox was in a black jacket and slacks with a white shirt casually unbuttoned at his throat. He looked the picture of casual elegance with Selina grinning from her safe spot under his protective embrace.

Bruce gave her a disapproving shake of his head before smiling in acceptance of the obvious love she and Lucius Fox had for one another. Fox gave her a squeeze and acknowledged the decorations in the penthouse, “Mr. Wayne, you have made a few changes since I was last here. Ms. Kyle’s influence I presume?”

Bruce gave him a look that spoke of his supreme suffering at that suggestion, “Not so, Lucius. This was all Alfred.”

Alfred gave Fox a glass of Champagne as he rolled his eyes. Fox kept his face neutral as the two men shared the understanding that none of this would have happened if a certain catalyst in a red dress wasn’t present. Bruce snorted in annoyance at the men and was grateful when Blake came in the room to draw some fire from him.

He had dressed the part for the event, but Blake still seemed out of his element. The dog leashed at his side furthered his unease. Alfred gave him a hard look that spoke plainly to his disapproval of the animal in the main room during a gathering. Blake went on the defensive, “I know Alfred. I’m just taking him out for a quick walk.” He pulled the dog to the elevator and Fox and Selina smiled at one another.

Fox chuckled, “Poor kid.”

Selina smirked, “I feel worse for the dog.”

Fox clucked his tongue at her and gave her a look of disapproval that he couldn’t quite pull off. “Now, I thought you two were getting along better these days.”

Selina shrugged, “He’s not so bad when I can’t see his face, I just pretend he is someone else.” Selina gave Bruce a wink and he returned a hard look. _Oh…Mr. Wayne didn’t like that... My possessive Bat… I like that about you Bruce. You don’t share…neither do I._ Selina continued on unabated about how when Blake was in costume it was easier for her to bond with him, “It’s like all of a sudden we have this...connection.” Her eyes sparkled and Fox tried hard to maintain his poker face as he nodded.

“I have noticed a certain chemistry when you two are on the job.”

Bruce heard Selina asking Fox if he had gathered up the footage of the night before. He confirmed that he had and that there were several video feeds that were able to capture some good fight sequences in which she and Blake had been involved. He moved to hand her a thumb drive and Bruce intercepted the transfer. “We are not here for business you two.” He gazed down at Selina and gave her another look that said she was being a little too successful at pressing his buttons. She just smiled that dazzling beautiful smile at him and he shook his head exacerbated with her teasing. _Little girl, if you knew how much it bothered me...you would knock off your nonsense._

Bruce caught Alfred as he was passing by and asked to borrow his cell phone. Alfred gave him a look of superior annoyance before Fox stepped in, “Maybe I should give my gift to you now, Mr. Wayne.” He produced Bruce’s cell phone from his pocket. It had a small foil bow pressed on the display. Fox smiled as he presented it to his employer, “it didn’t come in black, just silver.”

Bruce smirked at him and plucked off the bow before powering on the device. “I can’t have everything I guess.” Selina laughed at the two men. Bruce gave her a smoldering look as he winked and walked away.

Fox, Selina, and Alfred were standing together laughing when Lucius pointed at the elevator, “Let the party begin.” 

Meghan came boiling off the lift as soon as the doors opened. She was a flash of pink in her winter coat coupled with the quick tapping of her patent leather shoes as she ran over to the group. Blake must have used the override code because the lights didn’t warn of their arrival, allowing the little girl to take the room by storm. Alfred was first to absorb the impact of Meghan as she hugged his legs and yelled excitedly, “I’m here, Sir Alfred!”

Alfred chuckled, “That you are, young miss. We have been waiting for you.” Fox took his glass as the elderly man knelt down and Meghan hugged him properly giving him a loud kiss on the cheek. He unzipped her jacket and helped her off with the garment. When he stood he gave her an appreciative look. “My, what a fine Christmas dress you have on little miss.”

Meghan smoothed the dark blue and green plaid fabric and beamed up at him, “Thanks!”

Gordon and Blake were hanging their jackets at the door watching Meghan make her rounds as Alfred walked up with her coat. “Commissioner, good to see you. I hope the travel over was none to treacherous.”

Gordon shook his head, “We were well provided for I assure you.” That was putting it mildly. A chauffeured driven Hummer had arrived at their residence and transported them to the penthouse. The driver assured them that he would be available to drive them back and provided Gordon with his cell number. He looked less the part of a chauffeur and more like an outdoor survivalist. Gordon hadn’t a moment’s worry with the capable young man behind the wheel.

As he adjusted his dark navy jacket Alfred was quick to notice that Gordon’s tie matched the green and blue pattern on Meghan’s dress. It was a sweet testament to how much the commissioner loved the child. Bruce had told him some of what had transpired to bring Meghan to this place in her life and Alfred had thought of her every day since. He realized how lucky the little girl was to have a man like Jim Gordon as her guardian. Alfred looked over at Selina holding Meghan as they chatted animatedly with Fox and his heart lightened.

She carried none of the hate and fear that contaminated the beast that attacked her. Meghan was as light as air with music in her laugh. Her excitement was overflowing as she pointed around at all of the Christmas decorations. Selina hugged her as they both looked up the tree. Meghan seemed beside herself with the scale of it all. _It was a simple thing for people to treat in another decently. How it got so far away from that to where the world was to day I will never know._

Alfred felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to find Blake standing beside him, “You made this a very special day for them Alfred...and for me. Thank you. Really. For everything you have done. All this,” he gestured around them and then dropped his head, “And the stuff before...for talking me though things. Thanks for that most of all.” Alfred nodded, not trusting his voice to respond. Blake hesitated for a moment and then he hugged the old English gentleman that had thought enough of him to set him straight and line him out when he needed it. “Merry Christmas, Alfred.”

Alfred embraced the young man and patted his back heartily, “Merry Christmas to you, _Master_ Blake. “

It must have finally occurred to Meghan that she had not yet seen Bruce. She peered around for him and then asked Selina. Selina pointed her at the formal dining room and Meghan was off like a missile. Fox laughed in anticipation of the reunion with the master of the house. Bruce rounded the corner as Meghan was climbing the stairs to him. He scooped her up into a warm hug, “Uncle Bruce!”

Her voice carried across the main room and Gordon just shook his head as he joined Blake and Alfred, “I think she found him.”

Selina smiled as she watched Bruce descending the stairs with the little girl in his arms. Meghan was chattering and Bruce was listening diligently as he tried to keep up with the child’s excitement. Meghan was stirred up about the Christmas tree and the possibilities of Santa coming to her house tonight and then she was asking if he thought the storm would stop him and did he think reindeer got cold when they flew in the snow. Bruce took a breath and exhaled, “That was a lot, Meghan.” He laughed as he looked at Gordon, “Jim, how do you keep up with all of the questions?”

They shook hands and Gordon grinned at him, “Years of practice with the media has honed my skills.”

Selina looked at Gordon thoughtfully, “Speaking of flying conditions, with the weather like it is, reindeer aren’t the only ones likely to have difficulty in the sky. Are the flights on schedule for your other kids?”

Gordon adjusted his glasses and shook his head, “Too soon to tell. Even with this little break in the snow now, Gotham International is still boxed in tight. Everything depends on if this next cell of storms hits us later tonight.” He shrugged, “If it does, then Meghan and I may just take a trip and visit them next weekend.” He smiled at the little child in Bruce’s arms, “I hope they do make it though. She is really looking forward to seeing them.”

Bruce smiled at Gordon, “Private airstrips are always an option. I know mine are in full operation.”

Selina smiled and rolled her eyes at her powerful beau. It would be Bruce Wayne that stood to defy even the weather. Her eyes caught something on the horizon, “Well someone is making use of the calm between storms.” She pointed at a small light that was growing steadily larger. It was just about dusk and the running lights of the aircraft brought attention to it as it was indeed the only thing in the sky that evening.

Bruce turned to the wall of glass and watched as the craft approached. Alfred appeared at his shoulder and all of them looked on as a helicopter crested above the skyline, flying quickly above the snow-covered buildings of Gotham. Selina’s head tilted as she watched the silver helicopter slowing as it approached their building. Her interest changed to concern as her combative nature took over and she sensed a possible threat when the flight lights passed over the windows. The light triggered an immediate tint over the glass and Selina wondered if the smart glass was bullet proof too. _Knowing Wayne and Fox it is..._

Fox stepped up beside Wayne and nudged him, “That’s one of yours. Is it not, Mr. Wayne?”

Selina heard Lucius and relaxed marginally as the craft turned and she saw that indeed there was a WE logo emblazoned on the hull. The pilot began lowering onto the penthouse’s landing pad. The whirling blades dusted up loose snow and the descent slowed, allowing the frozen flurry to scatter off the balcony and drift down the side of the building. Blake and Ace were standing by the windows watching with interest. The dog barked and twirled a little circle in anxious response to the beating blades of the helicopter. Blake glanced over at Gordon and Fox and they seemed as mystified and intrigued by the situation as he. Alfred brushed by him giving Ace a friendly pat as he walked purposefully to the patio door and took position as the craft finally came to rest.

Selina had drifted closer to the window herself, watching as the runners settled into the compacted ice. She glanced back at Bruce and caught the soft look in his eyes and she realized that somehow this was about her. Bruce’s lips twitched in an infinitesimal smile as he looked at her. Meghan had fallen silent in his arms as she watched in mute fascination as the aircraft landed. Selina studied Bruce for another long moment trying to understand what was happening, then her cell phone went off on the counter and the music started to play the lyrics from Train’s _Hey Soul Sister_. Her eyes widened as the familiar caller ID played. She looked questioningly at Bruce and his smile deepened, “I thought you deserved a Christmas with everyone that you care about, Selina.”

Her head snapped back to the helo as the door slipped open and a man bundled in a dark trench coat stepped out. His red scarf blew in the wind as the heavy beat of the rotors tousled his dark hair… _Sigmund_.

Selina watched in disbelief as the man crossed over the packed snow to the door. She looked back at Bruce and her face split into an incredible smile. Bruce just shook his head. _This woman of mine...you have me twisted tightly around your finger... God help me it’s right where I want to be._ Alfred opened the glass patio door and ushered the young man inside. Sigmund rushed in, stomping the snow off his feet onto the coarse mat and then looked over at Selina and opened his arms with a flourish, “Happy Christmas, Love!”

Selina let out a shriek that made Meghan’s seem weak by comparison. They met each other at a dead run and Sigmund wrapped her up and spun her around in his arms. They held each other tight for several long moments as both were overcome with emotion. Alfred stood by at a respectful distance, smiling as he dutifully waited to assist the young man with his jacket. Sigmund and Selina finally broke away from one another and both were in tears. Sigmund was the first to speak, “I didn’t know if I would ever get to see you again dearie.” He squeezed her hand as if he was trying to make sure she was real.

“Sigmund…I can’t believe this.” She stumbled over her words and then she was hugging him again as she laughed at the impossibility that he was actually standing there with her. “This is crazy! How? In this weather even!”

“Darling you are not the only one that can’t believe it. One minute I’m painting a sunset over the canal and the next I am jetting away on a private airplane bound for the states.” He grinned at her, “Good thing for me you mailed back my passport.” Selina stepped back from him and Alfred utilized the break to divest their newest guest of his jacket. Sigmund accepted the courtesy from Alfred, “Mr. Pennyworth. Good to see you again old chap. A very happy Christmas to you as well, sir.”

Alfred bowed slightly to the young man and shook his offered hand, “And to you Mr. Geller. When you and the missus have reunited properly I will be happy to introduce you to the remaining guests. “

While the British gents were talking, Selina looked down at Bruce and shook her head in disbelief. He just gave her a small smile, “Merry Christmas, Selina.”

She pressed her fingers to her lips, overwhelmed. Tears threatened in her eyes again as she looked at the man that had changed her life. _Bruce Wayne._ She took a deep breath and held herself together as she mouthed _‘Thank you._ ’ He nodded, watching her protectively as he cradled a now shy Meghan against his chest.

Sigmund smoothed down the collar of his charcoal blazer and glanced around the room as he blew out a breath. “What is all this then?” He took in the Christmas decorations and all the people staring expectantly up at him, “Has the party been waiting on me to arrive?” He grinned down and gave them a bow, “Sigmund Geller at your service. Literally. I believe I may have been flown in from Italy by Mr. Wayne to paint caricatures at tonight’s event. “ The group laughed at the newest guest and Selina just shook her head smiling at the charming young man. Sigmund gave a small nod of acknowledgement to Bruce and then returned his attention back to Selina. “I’m glad to see you and that handsome bloke of yours are back on the straights again.”

Selina nodded, “Me too.” She held both of his hands tightly and looked in his dark eyes, “I owe you Siggy. You really came through for me when I needed it. I won’t ever forget that.”

He took her hands and brought them up and kissed the knuckles of each with a resounding smack, “I would do it again in a red hot minute, Love.”

“Sig, come with me. I want to introduce you to my family.”

X

x

Selina walked up the landing behind Bruce Wayne as he looked over his silent white city and she snaked her arm around his waist, “Mr. Wayne. You have outdone yourself tonight. Truly. I am at a loss.”

Bruce smiled down at her, as she circled him and then pressed her lips against his. He allowed himself the indulgence of basking in the total adoration that was in her eyes when she finally pulled away. This reaction had been worth anything in the world to achieve. As it stood, the adoration of this woman had only cost him three phone calls, a few thousand in jet fuel and pilot’s holiday overtime wages. It truly was nothing for a man of his means, but it had meant so much to Selina to have Sigmund here that he would have paid any price. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and smoothed her cheek with his thumb, “I wanted our first Christmas together to be a memorable one.” He sighed and shook his head, “I would pull the stars from the sky and give them to you if you told me you wanted them, Selina.”

She shook her head and looked up at him, “I have no doubt that you could, Mr. Wayne. But, I don’t want them. You are what I want...the only thing I need.”

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “Then it’s me that you will have, Ms. Kyle.” She tilted her head and was just about to call him out on having finally slipped up and used her last name when he squeezed her hand and dropped down to his knee.

Her heart stuttered in her chest and her breath caught as she watched him looking up at her with his penetrating green eyes, “I give myself to you, Selina.” He looked into her eyes and confessed all that she was to him, “I already belong to you. I have since that day you found me in the manor. I was lost...wandering aimlessly in the shadows of my past. You found me...brought me back, released me from the memories that kept me prisoner. You have filled my heart with love and hope.” He kissed her hand, “Now... finish what you started. Save me Selina...be my future...be my wife...marry me.”

Selina looked down at this man that had become everything to her and she felt the emotion of the past months turning in her. She let her hand cup under his chin and fixed him with her warm caramel eyes as he fearlessly waited for her answer. “Where is my ring, Wayne?” She baited him and he smiled that boyishly handsome grin of his before producing a ring that held the most beautiful stone she had ever seen.

He knew by her reaction that she understood what she was holding. A purple diamond. It was the rarest of all naturally occurring colored diamonds and this particular stone was unmatched in the depth of its color and clarity. He held the platinum band that secured it between his thumb and forefinger and watched as her eyes devoured it. He grinned at the sharp glint in her eye when she looked up at him. _Yeah, you understand exactly what this is, don’t you? My little jewel thief... I think I may have actually impressed you._ Bruce cocked his head and his eyes twinkled as he gazed up at her, “I decided against a diamond that astronauts could see from space and instead I chose one that cost more than the entire space program.”

Selina dropped back her head and laughed as he slipped the ring on her finger. She gazed down at him and shook her head in amazement. Bruce just winked and kissed her jewel-encrusted hand, “Now, how about an answer darling? My knees are killing me.”

Selina laughed and nodded, “Yes. You know it’s a yes, Bruce.”

He grinned and rose up in front of her capturing her mouth in a soft chaste kiss before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. The sound of clapping roused them away from one another and they turned to face the room. Blake, Meghan and Sigmund gave each other high-fives as they cheered the couple while Alfred Fox and Gordon all raised their glasses in a toast. Alfred could have looked no prouder than he did at that moment. Bruce felt his jaw tighten as he fought back the emotion that threatened to claim him. _I have everything...I have everything I could ever want or need and I have it because of this woman at my side._

Selina looked up at Bruce, “Was everyone in on this?” He nodded and kissed her jaw in apology. She flashed her eyes at him and shook her head, “You must have been pretty sure of my answer, Wayne. What if I had said no?”

Bruce looked at her and he sighed, “I don’t have the strength to even imagine that, Selina. I really don’t. I almost lost you before and it nearly broke me. If you hadn’t accepted…I just don’t know what would have become of me.” Selina wrapped her arms around him and he pressed a kiss into her hair, “I can’t imagine a life that doesn’t include waking up every day to your beautiful face.” He caressed her cheek, “No life I would want to lead anyway. I love you so much, Selina.”

Selina breathed in the scent of him as she pressed her eyes shut listening to him profess his love. She felt a tear escape and she stayed still against him. When they separated Selina looked up at him and she shook her head, “I don’t think I was ever really alive until you, Bruce. I was hiding...waiting...for something.” She shrugged. “That day...” She looked down at his chest and then back up into his eyes, “You saved me from more than just the ice that day, Bruce.”

He nodded, understanding that it had been that way for him as well, “I haven’t been the same man since meeting you, Selina. “ He looked down at his hand that held hers, “I’ve never felt more sure of anything than this... then I am of us. You have changed everything... for the first time in my life…I feel...whole...complete.”

Selina blinked and dropped her chin and then peered up through her lashes, “It’s a terrifying thing for someone like me...needing you the way I do.” She confessed her fears to him, “I’ve been on my own nearly my entire life and suddenly...” She shrugged and he could see the honesty in her eyes, “You are so much a part of me now that I can’t find my way without you...without my boy scout to guide me.” She smiled at him and shook her head in wonder, her voice was just a soft whisper, but he heard her declaration of love for him clearly, “You are the best part of me, Bruce Wayne. I love you.”

He kissed her again losing himself in her touch and the heady rush that came from knowing they had stood together and made it through the worst that Gotham could deal them. _We made it through together._ Bruce smiled and brought up her hand and admired the exquisite stone, “Mrs. Selina Wayne. Now, that has a _nice ring_ to it. Doesn’t it, kitten?” He flashed the priceless stone at her taunting her gently over her comments on the type of ring she had expected from him.

Selina smiled up at the man that held her hand and heart as she tried out her new name, “Mrs. Selina Wayne...has a _lovely_ ring to it.”

He kissed her again and she gave herself over to him, let him envelop her in the warmth of his kiss and the comfort of his arms. She finally trusted someone to love her and care for her. Selina Kyle who had never thought herself capable or worthy of love was now standing in a room surrounded by it. People that she loved and that loved her in return and it was because of the man beside her. Bruce Wayne... The boy scout…the Batman. She trusted him enough that she let herself need him...depend on him…love him.

She remembered looking in Bruce’s eyes once and seeing forever there. She hadn’t understood then how much forever meant until she realized she would be spending it with him. Bruce Wayne had changed everything...he had changed her...forever

x

xx Music Lyrics :Hey Soul Sister- Train

xxx

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 

xxx

Bruce sat on the patio of Alfred’s villa three weeks post-surgical. The weather was warm in Florence, but he was watching a storm blowing across the city from the coastline. He checked his watch and then looked back out to the west for Selina. Her route would bring her straight down the rolling hills that bordered the canal. He liked that she finished that way because it gave him a chance to watch her run. When he had told her that she had laughed and called him a stalker, but she had made it a point to finish every run since down those hills.

The rain beat her home. Alfred was quick to check on Bruce and extended the patio cover when he felt the first drops falling, “Master Wayne, would it not be preferable to wait for her inside, out of the monsoon? I have some fresh coffee brewed. “

Bruce smiled at his longtime companion, “Alfred, you are on vacation. You should start acting like it. I am perfectly able to take care of myself.”

Alfred gave him a deprecating look and then gestured around them, “Says the bloke sitting in the rain.”

Bruce smiled at the scolding and Alfred patted his shoulder lightly, “I would go retrieve her myself if I believed she would get into the bloody car without a row.”

Bruce chuckled as his eyes found her familiar form on the horizon, he gestured at her, “No worries Alfred. Looks like she is nearly home. Besides, she likes running in the rain.” He watched her draw closer as the sky opened up and the rain began in earnest. Bruce tried not to let his longing to be running beside her dampen his enjoyment as he watched her sprint towards him. _That will come soon enough. I am already stronger than I have been in years. My knees haven’t felt this good since college; my shoulders and elbows are coming along nicely as well._

He looked down at himself. He was already dressed for his own work out; black shorts and a grey T-shirt. His black and white Puma running shoes looked new still as they had not been broken in with anything more than brisk walks around Florence with Selina. Still, walking was something. _It was more than something when I take into account that it was pain-free and performed without a brace or even a hint of a limp. Now it’s time for me to get really serious about rehabbing._

The doctor had given his blessing to try whatever Bruce felt himself able to tolerate. _I am going to reduce my reps and increase my weights today. It is time to start bulking up. If I am going to train Blake I will need to be in top condition myself._

Selina’s arms and legs pumped as she powered down the hill. _To hell with Blake, I need to be in top condition if I intend to keep up with her._

Bruce lost the visual for a moment as she dropped down before the last incline. He liked this part; it gave him a gauge on how fast she was moving. It seemed like only seconds before she crested the hill and was running up the drive. She ignored the gate controls and jumped onto the block wall. Leveraging herself up, she gained her footing instantly and was running full tilt down the narrow brick divide.

Bruce found himself holding his breath as he watched her coming toward him, water was running freely off her white cap and her bare arms and legs were slick from the rain. Her green tank was clinging to her like a second skin, outlining every curve the white sports bra failed to contain. His sexual attraction suspended momentarily and was replaced with awed appreciation when she jumped from the wall to the patio. It was a graceful powerful arching leap, a not-so-infrequent glimpse into her dancer’s repertoire; her black nylon running shorts exposed the definition in her well-muscled legs as the pump from the run had them corded from the exertion. _She was beautiful._

Selina landed lightly on the railing and hopped down on the patio. She smiled at him from underneath the brim of her hat as she panted to catch her breath, “Morning, sleepy head.”

Bruce smiled at the tease, “More like good afternoon. You are a fine one to talk about sleeping-in anyways; you didn’t roll out today until nine yourself.”

Selina grinned and slipped underneath the shelter of the canopy, “What can I say, I was enjoying the company of my fiancée.” Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, “I have to take advantage of every moment while I still have him all to myself.”

Bruce understood the undercurrent in her message. Their stay in Europe was drawing to a close and they both were treating time together like a precious commodity. He tapped his finger on the metal table, “We could stay a few more weeks if you wanted. Hit the slopes. Give you another shot at your ice climb...”

Selina grimaced at the memory of her failed attempt as she pulled off her soaked shirt and dropped down on a chair, “It’s not about what I want, Bruce. You have things in Gotham that need your attention. I understand.”

She didn’t mention Blake by name, but they both understood that he was the real draw back to Gotham. If not for the pressing need to get him trained they could remain abroad indefinitely. _Not indefinitely._ Bruce stopped himself before he went too far down the road that would have him resenting Blake. Gotham was still struggling to rebuild, Bruce needed to be a part in that. His father would have wanted him to be the man that helped lead the city’s recovery.

Gotham itself had been relatively quiet on the crime front since their departure. The police force was back in control and most of the city’s infrastructure had resumed normal operations. Bruce started to try and rationalize a longer stay in Florence.

 _Wayne Enterprises definitely wasn’t missing me. I have been in contact with Fox constantly on the progress of company and it was rebounding spectacularly_. Much of the credit was directly due to the new defense contracts and clean energy project. They had been just the jump-start WE needed to break out of the red. The energy project itself was drawing world-wide attention. Results from the first prototype were very promising. Stark had run the test in LA himself and for twenty-five minutes the device had powered all the lights in the city.

Pepper had called to check Bruce’s progress and warn him of the publicity stunt. Selina and Bruce were sitting in his hospital room as Fox streamed the video live to their MacBook. Selina had thought it all endlessly entertaining while Bruce was at a loss for why Stark felt the need to play up the event with theatrics. _All it did was paint a bull’s eye on our backs. I guess it wasn’t enough that we are already under fire from the petroleum conglomerates and international oil companies that were starting to realize the threat of losing their financial grip on the United States. The ability to produce energy without fossil fuels promised to upset the very basis of the world’s economy and Tony was treating it the way he did everything else, like a kid that just found his father’s gun. Stupid and reckless_

Bruce was irritated until the press conference began at the Chinese theater on Hollywood Boulevard and Pepper activated the device. Then the world was witness to the first operational self-sustaining power source capable of sourcing a multilevel city grid system. The world also witnessed Tony Stark dropping to one knee and proposing to Pepper Pots. Bruce and Selina had watched his proposal and Pepper’s stunned acceptance in silence. When it was over and they were kissing to the cheers of the on looking crowd, Selina had looked over at Bruce with that smirk he loved so much and said, “Yours was better.”

Bruce looked down now at Selina’s hand where the diamond ring shone brightly on her finger and again he was grateful for every moment he had with her. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the stone as he looked into her brown eyes, “I do have things that require my attention in Gotham. Like planning my wedding.”

Selina smirked as she pulled off her cap and spun it around backwards on her head before she leaned forward and kissed him deeply. As she surfaced from the passionate kiss her voice was husky, “Mr. Wayne we both know Alfred is planning the wedding. All we are doing is showing up, so don’t give me that.”

Bruce smiled as he pulled her soaking wet onto his lap, “You got me there, but we do still have to decide on a venue. I was thinking...city hall...downtown Gotham.” His mischievous smile brought out one in Selina as well.

She pursed her lips as if she was really considering it as a possibility, “Maybe a ticker tape parade right down Main, straight to the altar. We could have the ceremony in front of the Batman tribute statue...”

Bruce shrugged, “Why not?”

Selina smiled, “He did do his fair share to bring the two of us together. Batman should get a shout out.”

Bruce smiled at her and stood, lifting her easily along with him before he deposited her on her feet, “Let’s get you inside and dried off before you catch cold.”

Selina looked at him and grinned as he swatted her playfully on her bottom, “You are getting around pretty good these days, Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce grinned, “I’m feeling pretty good, Mrs. Wayne-to-be.” He pulled her to him and his face got serious, “Actually... I am feeling fantastic. Never better in fact.”

Bruce kissed her and for the briefest of moments all was right in the world. He was a man that had everything... Fortune...Friends...Family...and the promise of a future, but like so many times in life and especially in Gotham...things didn’t always have a fairytale ending.

Alfred opened the door to the patio, his face was ashen and Bruce and Selina immediately rushed to his side.

 _Heart attack._ That was the only thought that came to Bruce’s mind. _Aspirin...Ambulance...Please, Alfred...don’t do this to me..._

“Alfred, what’s wrong?” Selina’s voice was calm and authoritative as she helped steady the older man.

“Gordon…” Alfred lifted the phone up to Bruce as he tried to finish the sentence, “He escaped…the Joker escaped.”

Bruce felt his blood run cold. _The Joker...loose again in Gotham. His city needed him...Gotham needed the Batman...now...more than ever._

*The End?*

x

xx

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right folks... Why am I so sad?
> 
> I think because I love these characters so much. I also love the people that love them along with me. It has been incredible to share and contribute (I hope in some small way at least) to the continued enjoyment of the Nolan’s trilogy. I cried at the end of the movie not because of the scene in Florence (although Sir Michael had me crying in every damn scene he was in) I cried because it was the end of a story that had really meant something to me. I cried because the characters meant something to me... That was why I continued it here. I hope my stories kept them living on for you a while more as well...
> 
> I hope to see you guys around sometime... maybe our paths will cross again someday in Gotham.
> 
> You never know when... or if... the Bat will make another appearance. Until then.. if the good citizens of Gotham need him... they can call... he will be watching the night sky for his signal...
> 
> -Slingblade-


End file.
